Infractus Love
by Tolanya
Summary: [AU] The only one Albel loved was Fayt, and Fayt was the only one who loved him. And yet, Luther still wanted Fayt for himself. When Luther will do anything to get Fayt, everything takes a violent turn. I still suck at summaries.
1. Stealing Away

-1**Disclaimer: **I don't own Star Ocean. Sorry.

**Date Posted: **March 31, 2006

**Author's Note: **Ohh, the first author's note. Welcome back old readers and hello to everyone new. This is my very second full length fanfiction. And I know it took me over two weeks, which is more than I allow myself to take, to post this. Heh. Anyway, the pairing is Albel/Fayt with one-sided Luther/Fayt. Luther being the one side, seeing as Fayt is in love with Albel. Enjoy the violence, yaoi, and sexy Albel. Also, sorry about the lateness. I've been spending 6 or 7 hours a day on Kingdom Hearts II. Heh. I waited in line for it.

**Chapter One: Stealing Away  
**

Fayt stood in front of the old trailer, letting Albel's thin arms wrap around him, cold rain falling on the boys as they embraced. Albel kissed Fayt's lips roughly, tightening his grip on the boy and pulling him closer. He kissed, Fayt thought, just like he acted. In a rough and possessive way, burning with a passion only Fayt knew he had.

Albel pulled back, though his eyes gave away that he wanted more. "Don't let him get you, damn it." His voice was low and dangerous, the sort of tone he always carried when he was talking about Luther.

_Luther. _Fayt had to admit, to himself, that he was afraid of Luther. The teenage leader of a sort of local mafia, he was powerful. And what he wanted, more than anything else, was Fayt. _Albel won't let him._

"I'll be careful," Fayt answered softly.

Albel nodded, but Fayt knew he wasn't reassured. _He's not one to worry. He'll hate Luther more._ The older boy brought Fayt out of his thoughts, leaning in and tracing along Fayt's bottom lip with his tongue. Sighing softly, Fayt let Albel press their lips together and kiss him, his tongue caressing Fayt's. He pulled Fayt closer, hands moving down to the boy's hips and lightly brushing the inside of his thigh.

"You better be damn careful," Albel whispered in Fayt's ear, "because I'm not nearly finished with you."

Fayt felt himself blush, though part of him was annoyed he couldn't spend the night with Albel. _Come on Fayt, you have to get home._ As he nodded and turned to leave, Albel grabbed his arm and spun the boy back around, kissing him again.

"I mean it Fayt." Albel stepped closer to him. "You're mine, not his."

Albel had always been possessive of Fayt, especially when there were rumors about Luther being around. _He's just afraid Luther will take me. _To Albel, Fayt was his and only his, the only thing he loved, and the idea of Luther having Fayt disgusted him. _Not to mention he knows how much I hate Luther._

"If he gets you…" Albel let his voice trail off, staring into Fayt's eyes. "I love you," he whispered, leaning so close Fayt could feel him breathe in and out.

They stood like that for a moment, Fayt staring up at Albel, knowing how hard it was for him to love. The boy's red eyes were fixed on him, unreadable even to Fayt. Albel leaned in and pressed his lips to Fayt, not pulling back for what felt like an eternity. They didn't need any more words. Albel just turned away and walked to the white trailer, throwing open the creaking door and stepping inside, disappearing from view.

Albel had lived alone for as long as Fayt had known him, in his stolen trailer. He had taken it while running from the police at the age of fifteen. _He was so young when it happened…_ _Too young to murder anyone. _But, still, Albel was a murderer. It had frightened Fayt at first, knowing the boy had killed his own father. Albel refused to say anything about it except that it had happened. _It doesn't matter. He's violent, but he won't hurt me…_

Fayt turned and walked away, down the empty street. The yellow glow of streetlights shone down in patches on the road, almost making up for the lack of moonlight in the rainy evening. The blue-haired boy stared ahead as he walked, a feeling of fear and paranoia rising in him. _I shouldn't be out alone, especially not back here. Luther's people could be out._

He quickened his pace, green eyes darting around for any signs of them. There was nothing- the street was empty but for a stray cat, lying in a corner mewing uncomfortably. Exhaling in relief, he slowed down again. The bright headlights of a car shone at the other end of the street, driving towards him. Fayt stepped aside, looking away from the blinding glare. The car slowed down as it approached him, and Fayt's heart skipped a beat.

_Should I run? Is it him?_ He had only a moment to wonder before the car door was flung open and he felt someone grab his hands and hold them behind his back. Fayt opened his mouth to scream, hoping Albel, or anyone, would hear. A cold hand clamped over his mouth, and he bit at it wildly, filled suddenly with an intense fear. Oh_ God, he's get me now, and Albel isn't here! It's over, it's over…_

"Luther! Let me go!" Fayt's voice was muffled and he struggled against the hands.

"You think I'd really let _you _go, Fayt?" Luther's voice was smug, satisfied with his catch.

Fayt felt a rope tie around his wrists, not so tight it hurt, but tight enough. He was pushed inside the car, in the front seat next to Luther, who crawled into the driver's seat after him.

"Albel will find you," Fayt told him, his voice shaky.

Luther reached a hand out to cup Fayt's cheek, and the boy froze, too scared to pull away. "Don't you think Albel's had you long enough?" Luther's voice was soft and seductive, and Fayt shivered, wanting to get out, to run away and still being too afraid to move at all. "I won't hurt you," Luther told him, driving off slowly.

_Yes you will. Maybe you don't mean to, but Albel… I need him!_

They drove off down the dimly lit street, away from Albel. The car turned down another road, and Fayt was holding in all his fear. Luther's voice broke the silence. "You want to stay with him, don't you?"

Fayt looked to Luther, whose dark eyes remained firmly focused on the road ahead of him, not daring to look at Fayt. "Yeah," Fayt answered softly.

Luther gripped the wheel more tightly. "Why him? Fayt, do you really know him?"

The blue-haired boy away, out the window, watching everything fly by. _Do I really know him? I know he keeps secrets, even from me…_

"Nobody does," Fayt answered calmly.

"You shouldn't do this. Fayt, you don't know what he's done. He's not for you." Luther turned to Fayt, their eyes locking.

"I love him," Fayt answered softly.

There was silence, and Luther sped the car up, flying down the streets of a neighborhood Fayt didn't recognize. Fear was pulsing through him, stopping him from fighting back.

The car finally pulled up to a decent-sized house, made of bricks in varying shades of red. Luther stopped the car and dragged Fayt out, leading him to the tall, oak doors. Fayt stared up at the tall entrance, and Luther unlocked the door, letting it swing open.

Fayt stepped inside, figuring he had no choice. The interior was plain, and several voices could be heard in the distance. _This must be where his favorites live. _Albel had once mentioned that it was rumored Luther and those he trusted lived in an ordinary house somewhere, making it impossible to uncover their location. A large window by the door, Fayt noted, had a thick, black cloth over it, making it appear as though the light was turned off.

Luther shut the door behind them, bolting it tightly. Fayt fought to look unafraid as Luther turned to him, dark eyes staring at him. "You will be kept in the house. You can go anywhere in the house- you're more a guest than a prisoner. The yard is free, too." He gestured towards a back door, visible beyond the long hallway they had just entered.

"Yeah, a guest. It's not like I want to be here." Fayt's voice was sarcastic and annoyed. He was frightened underneath, but wouldn't Luther let him live? _He does say he loves me after all…_

The blonde-haired boy shook his head and sighed. "You'll like it here."

"Like it! You stole me away from Albel!" Fayt's eyes met Luther's defiantly, daring him to deny what he had done.

Luther sighed again. "It had to be done. Do you think he can protect you? I have power, Fayt. I'm not about to let you be in his care. Albel is powerless." The very way he said Albel's name made Fayt sick. Like it was something disgusting, undesirable.

"B-but I loved…" Fayt's voice trailed off as Luther wrapped his arms around the boy.

"This is what's best for you." Luther's voice was soft and sincere, whispering in Fayt's ear.

"No. He is what's best for me. Albel's strong, he's all I need." Fayt struggled to escape Luther's arms.

_I shouldn't be here, he shouldn't be doing this, I belong with Albel! He will rescue me, he won't leave me stranded in this place!_ Luther slowly released Fayt, an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Fayt… even if you hate me, just know that I love you. I'm doing what's best for you. Albel… he's strong, but he's alone. He can't keep you safe. You need more people in a place like this."

Fayt looked away, avoiding Luther's eyes. _No, this is wrong. He doesn't understand. Albel does keep me safe._ Luther's voice broke the silence. "You look tired. Come on." He yanked a knife out of his pocket, and Fayt took a step backwards, stumbling slightly. "I'm just going to cut the ropes. Nothing else."

Luther's voice was calm, and Fayt stood still, letting the other boy stand behind him, uncomfortably close. He could feel Luther's breath on his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Slowly, Luther reached around him and sawed away the ropes around his wrists. Fayt's breathing was shallow, and his heart raced with fear at Luther's closeness. After what felt like forever, Luther let go, and the frayed roped fell down to the ground.

Fayt looked down at his wrists, and found them mostly unmarked by the rope. Luther stood behind him for another moment, his hands holding Fayt's. "You'll realize one day," he whispered in Fayt's ear, "How things should be."

Fayt froze as Luther leaned in, kissing his neck lightly. He pulled away, stepping back from Fayt, one of his hands still on Fayt's wrist. _Oh God, what's he going to do with me here? He just brought me here to be his whore…_

Luther led Fayt down the long, wide hallway they stood in, which ended in a stair case. He didn't pay attention to where they were going, though they did walk past two tall women, who glanced at Fayt before smiling at each other knowingly.

The two reached Luther's room, and Fayt found himself wishing he were somewhere else, in Albel's arms. _I won't be here long, Albel will come for me. Just this one night, maybe the next, and I'll be out of here._

Luther smiled at Fayt and whispered, "Don't worry. I'm not like that." Blushing, Fayt looked down at the floor, wanting Albel there more then ever. Luther leaned in, his mouth nearly touching Fayt's ear, and added, "I can wait a little longer if I need to." His hands slid down to Fayt's hips, and the boy tensed. "That is, if you want to wait."

Fayt tried to back away, but Luther wouldn't let go. Before he knew what was happening, Luther was kissing him. His kiss was oddly like Albel's, but unfamiliar. They both had a sort of roughness, a natural possessiveness. Luther broke away, his eyes filled with lust.

That was when the fear faded away a little and Fayt could react. He yanked Luther's hands off his hips, stumbling backwards. "No!" he yelled, shaking his head fiercely. "I'm only Albel's, not yours!"

Luther closed his eyes, sighing. "I know, Fayt. I'll give you time."

_I don't need time, I need to get out of here. Albel will figure it out, he's smart. He'll come for me tomorrow, I know it._

As the sun rose higher, revealing a clear blue sky, Albel had already been awake for hours, pacing back and forth. "God damn it, Fayt! Where the hell are you?" he muttered to himself. Albel had already walked down to his house and found no one there but his sleeping mother. Hoping the boy would come find Albel, he had gone back home to wait.

_Luther took him. There's no way Fayt would just disappear on a Saturday. _Albel stopped his pacing, looking at the door._ I have to get him back. Who knows what Luther's doing to him… No, I'm not going to worry about him, I don't do that. _Albel sighed. _Damn it, I've gone too far loving him. I should have known better than to get involved with someone Luther was after._

Albel shook his head. _What does it matter anymore? I love Fayt, I can't stop that now… And Luther's probably forced him into all sorts of things by now…_

The thought of Luther forcing Fayt to do anything set off Albel's anger, and he welcomed the feeling. _He **won't** get away with this._ Albel threw open the door and set off down the long road. There were few people scattered along the street, all of which Albel stopped to threaten, trying to get any information he could about where Luther might have taken Fayt.

It wasn't until noon that Albel, now annoyed and angry, found out anything. He had a frightened young brown-haired girl pinned against the back of a restaurant in an empty alley, muttering threats to her. She was silent, her amber eyes filled with tears. Her silence seemed, to Albel, to mean she must know something. He was about to give up and move on, when the girl spoke.

"My dad knows Luther," the girl said in a small voice. "Sometimes Dad goes to a big house to see him." She sniffled, and a tear ran down her cheek.

Albel snarled at her, and the girl only looked more afraid. "You know the way to this house?" His voice was low and threatening, though his heart was beating faster, and he was already ready to kill.

The girl hesitated for a moment, and Albel wrapped one hand around her throat. "Yes! I know where!"

Albel smirked in delight and dropped the hand. "Then lead the way."

She looked down. "It's really far. Dad drives there."

_Damn it, I should have figured Luther wouldn't keep his favorites down here. The girl's father is probably high ranking if he's even been to the house. I need to get there quickly… _Albel sighed and looked up at the bright sky. _The bastard's probably all over Fayt by now anyway. He'll just have to hang in there a little longer._

"Well, we're going to walk," he answered sharply, glaring at the girl, daring her to challenge him. Fear reflected in the girl's light eyes, and she nodded shakily.

The sun sunk lower in the sky as the two walked, down empty streets and beside speeding highways. Albel never once thought about how tired he was, or how he hadn't eaten all day. There was only one thing on his mind, as they turned into the neighborhood the girl said Luther lived in. Fayt.

**Author's Note: **Mm hmm. Hope you like it so far. Review. Next chapter should get things started, but you could probably tell that from, um, Albel being really pissed off. Heh. He's sexy when he's pissed off.


	2. The Price of Revenge

**Disclaimer: **I own some cool stuff. Or rather, some junk I think is cool so I hung it on my wall. This includes the shiny, shiny cardboard box that was with my Star Ocean game. Yes, a shiny box. But I don't own Star Ocean, just the game. What the fuck Tolanya, that makes no sense. I know, but I say it when I give you more chapters.

**Date Posted: **April 17, 2006

**Author's Note: **I'm back. I feel like the notes for my last chapter were lame. So was my summary. So I changed it. It still sucks, but it doesn't reek of lameness like before. Anyway, you're probably here to read the chapter and not my rambling, but I'm rambling anyway. So my grandma is over again. For all of you who read Lethal Triangle, you know this means slower updates. BUT NOT THIS TIME! I have obtained a laptop, and will lock myself in my room and write (or play Kingdom Hearts II…). I have conquered the grandma. But not the going to church while she's here. :

**Chapter 2: The Price of Revenge**

By the time Albel reached the doors of Luther's house, the sky was pitch black, dotted with stars. "You're sure it's this one?" he asked, turning to the girl who had led him there.

She nodded. "Can I go now?"

Albel looked up at the tall front doors. "Sure, go." He answered her absently. The girl took off running down the street, her footsteps fading into the distance.

_This is it. Luther's got him here… And here I am, about to go in unarmed. Damn it, this is stupid. But it's for Fayt. I need to get him out._ Albel exhaled slowly, knowing he had to do this.

He reached down and picked up a rock from the small yard in front of Luther's house. He threw it at one of the dark windows next to the door, and the glass shattered, a dark blanket falling through to reveal that the interior was dimly lit. _Pathetic_.

Albel ran to the window, climbing up the bricks below it, leaping into the house. He landed on his feet, looking around for any signs of life. There were running footsteps, and a young man with long, brown hair came running down the long hallway, dark blue eyes locked on Albel.

Albel leapt to the side as the man charged at him. The brown-haired man swiftly spun around, throwing a punch at Albel. His fist collided with Albel's right shoulder, and the boy stumbled back. The older man smirked and his fist came flying again, but this time Albel ducked and tackled the man neatly, punching him swiftly in the head. The man fell unconscious and Albel leapt up, looking around for anyone else. No one came.

Smirking to himself, Albel started out down the hallway, listening for Fayt's voice. He was halfway to a tall staircase, when a boy about his age rushed at him. With one swift kick to the back of his legs, Albel knocked him down. The boy tried to stand up again, but Albel held him down with one foot, pushing on his lungs until he passed out. Kicking the body aside, Albel continued to the staircase.

He was on the second floor in another hallway when he heard Fayt's voice cry out in surprise. _Fayt!_ Albel turned a corner and ran to the room the noise was coming from. He threw open the door, running in.

Fayt was in the middle of the room, his eyes wide and his hair messy. Luther stood in front of him, one hand on Fayt's hip, the other under his shirt. "Get the hell away from him," Albel commanded in a low voice, his eyes blazing with anger.

A smile spread over Fayt's face. "Albel! You came!"

Albel nodded. "He's going to pay."

Luther laughed. "Albel Nox… I'm impressed. You actually found this place." With one swift movement, Luther pulled away from Fayt and ran at Albel, tackling him.

Both boys fought viciously, fueled by anger and jealousy and hatred. Albel was winning, and he had Luther pinned to the floor, the back of his head bleeding from being hit into the corner of a wall. Just as Albel was about to slam Luther into the floor again, to knock him out, four others came running out.

Two of them were tall, well-built women, the third was a muscular dark-skinned man, and the last a blonde teenaged boy. The four wasted no time in attacking Albel from all sides, breaking his grip on Luther. He could see nothing but people around him, feeling the pain of their kicks and punches. He fought back desperately, managing to kick aside the blonde boy, but it was a battle he couldn't win.

Albel's vision was starting to fade away, and he was hurting badly, but still fighting. Finally, one of the women yelled for the others to get back, and was able to hold him down firmly. With an ease that suggested good training, she turned him over and produced a pair of handcuffs, locking them firmly onto his wrists behind his back. The cold metal dug into Albel's skin, but he refused to cry out.

Albel's breath was uneven and shaky as he lay on the floor, surrounded by a smug Luther and his followers. A look of defiance still burned in his eyes, refusing to be beaten.

"Get up," Luther commanded sharply.

Albel refused to obey, unsure if he was even able to stand. Luther rolled his eyes and pulled Albel up off the ground roughly, tugging on his arms.

"You shouldn't have come here, Albel. You knew you couldn't kill all of us, didn't you?" Luther's voice had a mocking undertone, letting Albel know he was defeated.

"I came here to get Fayt," Albel answered, staring boldly into Luther's eyes. The rivalry between them rang through the air, tension mounting as they spoke. Slowly, Luther dropped Albel's arms, letting him stand on his own.

Red eyes glanced at Fayt. The boy was standing where Luther had left him, trembling and watching closely. Albel managed to give him a reassuring smirk before Luther's voice cut in.

"Kill him."

_No, it can't end like this!_

The blonde boy nodded and hurried off to another room for a moment, returning with a black handgun. Luther took the gun out of his hands and pointed it at Albel.

In the moment before Luther had time to fire, there was a scream at the other end of the room. Fayt ran to Albel, throwing his arms around his lover.

"I won't let you kill him!" Fayt yelled at Luther, his voice surprisingly strong.

Luther sighed and lowered the gun. "Fayt, stay out of this. If I don't kill him, he'll take you away."

Albel wanted desperately to be free from the iron around his wrists, to be able to fight and save Fayt. _Leave it up to Fayt. If he'll just stand there and look cute, maybe Luther will agree to let me go._

"Please," Fayt pleaded, his eyes watering as he stared up at Luther, arms still firmly around Albel.

It was then, with Fayt holding him and trying desperately to save his life, that Albel knew, without a doubt, he loved Fayt. _He cares. He needs me as much as I need him. He would live and die for me. I won't let Luther rip us apart. _In that moment he could feel the thin wall between them crumble, and he knew Fayt felt it, too.

"Fayt," Albel whispered, so softly he was sure only Fayt could hear exactly what he was saying. "I don't think you ever knew how much I love you. I don't even think I knew until now."

A tear fell from Fayt's eye, and he held onto Albel tighter. "I don't think either of us realized what we'd gotten into until now," he whispered back.

"If we make it out of here alive, we're getting out of this town. I promise." Albel kissed Fayt's forehead softly, surprised he even had that kind of gentleness in him. _It's just the way Fayt is… he's changing everything about me. Damn it, if I let him die now…_

For a moment they sat like that, letting everything soak in. _I'm going to die here for him, if that's what it takes. But first, he needs to get out of here._

The long silence was broken by Luther. "Get Fayt off Albel so I can kill him!"

The darker man obeyed, pulling Fayt away from Albel. The two boys shared another moment of eye contact, and Fayt smiled knowingly at Albel. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he was dragged away.

As soon as the man loosened his grip on Fayt, the boy pushed himself free. With a look of certainty on his face, Fayt walked to Luther and stood close to the boy for a moment before leaning in and kissing him.

_What the hell is he doing! Fayt can't turn to Luther now, but the way he's kissing him…_

The two broke apart, and Albel noted the way Fayt was pressing himself against Luther. _He's trying to seduce him into letting me go! Fayt, you idiot, it's not worth it._

The whole room watched as Fayt leaned in to Luther, their lips almost touching, and said softly, "Let him go, Luther. You can have me, I'll let you have me if you let Albel live."

Albel yelled out before Luther had a chance to answer. "No! Fayt, you don't have to do this!"

Fayt turned to Albel, still standing close to Luther, and gave him a small smile Luther didn't see. "Albel, do you want to die here?"

Albel stared back at Fayt, not knowing what to say, wanting so badly just to take him back from Luther. When he finally found his voice, it was angry. "I would rather die here then let him have you."

Fayt looked down, his eyes filled with unshed tears. "I'm sorry, Albel."

Luther spoke up at last. "Fayt, are you sure?"

Emerald eyes were fixed on Albel as Fayt answered. "Yeah." He spun away from Albel, turning to face Luther. "I'll be perfectly willing," he answered with a mischievous smirk, running a hand up and down Luther's right thigh.

The anger that had been growing inside of Albel turned suddenly into jealousy. He knew Fayt was only faking it, and that he had been with Fayt countless times, but the only thing he could focus on was that Luther was the one Fayt was touching, not him. Albel gritted his teeth together and looked away from the two.

Luther looked up at Albel and smirked at him. "Jealous?" He laughed dryly. "You know how long I've wanted you to be jealous of me for, don't you?"

Their eyes locked, the tension that passed between them running through the air like electricity. "I'm going to destroy you, Luther."

For a moment, no one spoke. Fayt's voice cut through the air. "Let him go, Luther."

Albel felt a brief sense of victory, Fayt _was _doing everything he could to save his life, but it was conquered by jealousy again as Luther pulled Fayt closer to him.

"I'll let him leave here with his life at least." Luther smirked at Albel, running his hands through Fayt's hair. "Only because of you, though."

"You're actually going to do it, Luther?" Albel looked up into Luther's dark eyes, and knew he should have expected it.

"Albel, you fool. Do you think I would turn down Fayt?" Luther laughed.

Albel tore his gaze away from Luther, looking to Fayt. _He hates Luther. He hates Luther, and he's going to let Luther fuck him anyway. I can't let him stay here and be Luther's whore. I'm going to come back here, and I'm going to save him._

Crimson eyes stared at Fayt, who turned his head to stare back. "Don't do it. Please, Fayt, don't do it."

Fayt shook his head. "Get out of here alive."

They stared at each other, and Albel understood. _It's to save me. He cares, more than he should._

"Fayt, not for me. It's not worth it."

"Just go, Albel." Fayt answered, turning back to Luther, as if he couldn't look Albel in the eye anymore.

_I'll go then. But I'm coming back for him._

Albel nodded. "I'll go."

One of the two women stepped up to Albel and grabbed him roughly by the arm, leading him away from Luther and Fayt. The others followed, looking somewhat wary of Albel. As they walked out, he could hear Luther moaning, until the door slammed shut. _I will be back. Sooner than he expects._

**Fayt** _  
_

The sun rose the next morning to Fayt lying in Luther's bed, naked. Luther himself was still asleep, one arm resting on Fayt's waist. Fayt was laying on his side, one leg slung over Luther's hips. _Albel… _Fayt closed his eyes and sighed. _It was for him. _Still, Fayt couldn't shake off the dirty, guilty feeling weighing him down.

_I'll get back to him. I love him. And as soon as I do, I'm going to let him fuck me all he wants._ Fayt smiled sadly. _After all, I can't claim to have any sort of morals after this._

Luther stirred slightly, and opened his eyes. He smiled slightly at Fayt, who knew instantly he wanted more, and rubbed his leg against Luther's encouragingly. _I'll give him all he wants if it means Albel's going to be ok. After all, I gave him so much last night, it doesn't matter now._

The two boys had been up at least half the night. Fayt was sore in ways he didn't know were possible. His back hurt, and he faintly remembered sitting on Luther's lap, bending back to suck on his neck. Fayt had given him everything he wanted, no matter how much he wished it were Albel and not Luther he was with. Luther hadn't been rough, not as rough as Albel could be when he wanted to, but Fayt would have let him do anything.

Luther's hand was moving down Fayt's stomach now, his black eyes clouded with lust. _Give it to him. Keep Albel safe._

Luther stopped as his hand reached Fayt's waistline. "Fayt," he whispered. "Was Albel your first?"

Fayt leaned forward, pressing himself against Luther, hoping he would forget about Albel. "Yeah," he whispered back, his mouth nearly touching Luther's ear.

Fayt could hear Luther breathing more heavily as he asked, "So I'm the only other?"

He didn't answer at first, leaning in to suck on the skin below Luther's ear. He didn't want to admit that no one else besides Luther would ever be able to take him away from Albel, because that gave Luther something. _But he can only take me away because he has enough power to kill Albel. _Fayt pulled his mouth away. "The only other."

Luther seemed to consider it for a moment. "So he taught you everything you know?"

"Yeah." Fayt looked at Luther for another moment. "But I don't think I showed you everything I know," he whispered.

Luther smirked and rolled on top of Fayt, kissing him fiercely.

**Albel**

By noon, Albel was as restless as he had been the morning before. This time he lay under a bridge just outside Luther's neighborhood, staring up at the cement, listening to cars speeding above him. Next to him lay a knife with nicks in the blade, though its point was still sharp.

Looking out to the sky, Albel nodded to himself. "I'm coming to get you, Fayt," he whispered.

Albel grabbed the knife and rose, setting out for Luther's house. _If this doesn't work, Fayt will be stuck there. And after all that… _Albel couldn't deny that something had happened back there at Luther's house. The part of himself Albel had been holding back, keeping safe, had been surrendered. _There's no way I'm leaving him alone there now. Maybe before, but not now._

Albel frowned slightly at this thought. _I shouldn't let myself do this, but Fayt… And Luther, of all people to kidnap him. _Albel gripped the knife more tightly and walked faster. _This is the last time Luther even gets near him._

**Author's Note: **Ohh, scary Albel. With his scary knife. And no, you don't have to feel sympathetic of Luther. Did I give that impression? You can if you want to, but feel free to throw popcorn at your computer screen every time he shows up. I encourage the throwing of popcorn, it's good fun. So is REVIEWING.


	3. Jealousy and Dying

**Diclaimer:** Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm writing this dislcaimer for you.

**Author's Note: **Sorry this took so long, my internet broke. But take a look at my reviews, people. Sixteen of them. And I'm posting a new chapter. Oh hell yes! Everyone be proud of Tolanya. I was going to wait like I usually do for 10 reviews, but what the hell! This chapter is angsty and the disclaimer isn't a disclaimer, because I'm not going to get sued. As always, I shall write more at the end of the chapter. Because you can pretend to care about my life. Yes. Read on.

**Date Posted: **May 2, 2006

The sky was bright orange with the setting sun as Albel turned a street corner and could see Luther's house. It was a quiet evening, the silence broken only by the rustling of new, green leaves in the breeze. _About time I found the damn place. Must've got lost a dozen times, damn it._ He broke into a run, looking around to make sure no one saw him dash up the front lawn of the brick house.

Masking tape now covered the broken window, and the knife sliced through it easily. _Hah. He didn't think I would be back so soon._ Albel smirked and crawled in through the window.

This time, there was only silence. No one came to stop Albel as he quietly walked down the hallway, turning up the same staircase as before and walking towards Luther's room. He stopped before the white, wooden door, staring at it. _This is it. I die, or we both get out._

Albel threw the door open, holding the knife out in front of him. In one corner of the room, Luther sat in a leather chair, with Fayt on his lap. The blue-haired boy, Albel noted, was half-dressed, wearing only a pair of jeans.

"Albel!" Fayt cried out, starting to leap up, only to be pulled back down by Luther.

With a confident smirk, Albel stepped forward. "Let go of him."

Luther's cold laugh sounded, and he only pulled Fayt closer. "Are you trying to get killed, Albel?"

Albel stared into Luther's eyes. "I don't care if I do. Let go of him, now." His voice was low and dangerous.

Fayt struggled against Luther's grip, trying to break free. The blonde boy refused to let him go, hugging Fayt against him tightly. _Damn bastard, that's the last time he touches Fayt._

"Luther, let him go. Do you want him to get hurt in this?"

Luther narrowed his eyes at Albel, but let go of Fayt. The boy ran to Albel, throwing his arms around his lover. "I'm sorry," he whispered, burying his face in Albel's chest.

"Are you ok?" Albel asked, tilting Fayt's face up towards him. He pushed Fayt away slightly, eyes scanning his body for any marks or bruises.

"I'm fine," Fayt reassured.

_He's right, Luther didn't hurt him… _Albel glared up at Luther, before pulling Fayt into a hug. He could sense jealousy from Luther, and it only made him more satisfied to have Fayt back.

"Never do that again," Albel whispered into Fayt's ear. "Never."

"I won't," Fayt whispered back.

Ignoring Luther's presence, Albel leaned in and kissed Fayt. It was the first time Albel had kissed Fayt gently, lovingly, without lust. He was almost afraid to, but with Fayt, it was different. He pulled away, staring into Fayt's green eyes and whispered, too softly for Luther to hear, "I love you."

For the first time, he knew he really meant it, and always would.

"Let go of me. I'm going to kill him," Albel's voice was soft, yet deadly. Fayt squeezed Albel's thin body tightly, before they both released each other.

Fayt slowly stepped back, giving Albel space to attack Luther. But by then, Luther had a knife in his hands, too. _To the death, then._ Albel looked at Fayt for a moment, and knew he was enough to fight and die for.

Luther attacked first, charging at Albel, knife pointed at him. Albel ducked and slashed at Luther's hand, tearing open the skin on his knuckles. Both boys glared at each other for a moment, and then there was only a blur of iron and blood. Albel fought with everything he had, stabbing wildly at Luther and still managing to swiftly duck under Luther's knife.

The fight was intense and fast-paced, and by the time they were several minutes into it, they were both slowing down. Gritting his teeth, trying not to show how tiring the fight was, Albel lunged at Luther yet again, and the boy spun out of the way, running the tip of his knife over Albel's cheek. "Shit," he muttered, wiping the blood off his face.

"Ready to give up yet?" Luther called out mockingly.

The blade in Albel's hand sliced into the skin on Luther's already bleeding knuckles. "Never," Albel answered.

Luther grimaced and attacked, and again the battle continued it's fast-paced rhythm. Albel seemed to be winning, slicing up Luther's arms and hands, trying to hurt him so he would drop the knife. Part of Albel just wanted to mutilate his hands so badly he could never touch Fayt again, even if he won this.

Albel threw all his force into one blow, aiming for Luther's neck. Luther tried to counter it, only to realize it was useless and duck. By that time, Albel was so worn out his reflexes were fatally slow.

Everything that happened next was a blur. Luther pulled his knife back and swung it at Albel's heart, full-force. Albel didn't have time to put up a guard. And then, out of nowhere, Fayt was there. Albel saw the knife bury itself halfway in Fayt's stomach, saw the blood.

"Fayt!" he yelled, catching the boy as he fell. Blood spilled onto Albel as he knelt down, one hand holding up Fayt's head, the other one on his back. "Fayt, talk to me!"

Fayt's eyes opened, a hazy green. "Albel." He spoke the name softly.

Luther stepped forward, as if to take Fayt from Albel. "Go get help!" Albel barked at him. "Call a damn ambulance!"

Dark eyes assessed Albel, who glared back. Luther nodded and ran off. Albel turned his attention back to Fayt. "You fool," he whispered, tracing along Fayt's jaw with his finger. "That knife was meant for me, not you."

Fayt smiled up at Albel, the cute smile Albel had always been so reluctant to admit he loved. "I didn't want him to kill you."

Albel blinked back tears, refusing to cry even now. "Fayt… I love you."

The blue-haired boy's smile never faded. "You've changed Albel. You aren't… afraid anymore."

Tears filled Albel's eyes, and he blinked harder. "No. I'm not. Don't die now, Fayt. Please, live."

"I can't promise you I will," Fayt answered softly.

Albel shook his head. "Live." It was the only word he could manage to say. Fayt stared up at Albel, a trace of fear in his eyes before he closed them. _He's afraid to die…_ Albel pulled Fayt's limp body close to him, as close as he could without touching the knife in him.

He didn't know how long he held Fayt like that for. Albel could feel the boy's heart beating steadily, a reminder he was still alive. And then he could hear sirens outside.

Picking Fayt up, Albel carried him down the hallway, down the stairs, where a group of ambulance workers waited with a stretcher. Luther stood with them, his eyes full of shock and bewilderment. One man rushed to Albel, who glared at him for a moment before reluctantly handing Fayt over.

Neither Albel or Luther left Fayt's side as they put him on the ambulance. The tension between the two was as heavy as ever, though Fayt wasn't awake. Albel refused to speak to Luther, staring down at Fayt's body, just lying there, bleeding.

People stared at the odd group as they hurried through the emergency room. Fayt, with a knife in his stomach, and Albel and Luther, cut up and bleeding. Red eyes glared at the patients, lying in their beds, sick or injured. _Useless fools._

Fayt was rushed into a smaller room and laid down in a bed, and doctors dressed in white began to tend to him. They ran about the room frantically, grabbing supplies Albel couldn't name, trying to stop the bleeding from Fayt.

Finally, one of the doctors, a man who looked to be in his forties, with specks of gray in his faded brown hair, pulled Albel and Luther aside, his brown eyes studying them carefully. "What's the boy's name?" The doctor's voice was kind, yet he seemed a little wary of the two.

"Fayt," Albel answered. "Fayt Leingod."

The doctor nodded. "Are either of you related to him?"

Albel shot a glance at Luther, wondering if he had any sort of plan. _If he tells them he's with Fayt…_ Albel quickly answered, "He's mine." The brown-haired man raised an eyebrow at Albel, but he was used to getting that sort of reaction by now. "He's my lover," Albel clarified, daring the man to comment.

Luther gave Albel an annoyed glare. "I'm, uh… good friends with Fayt."

The doctor seemed sharp enough to pick up on the looks passing between them. "I see, then. Does he have any family?"

"He has a mother," Albel answered sharply.

Sighing, the doctor nodded. "We'll need to let her know what's happened, then." He turned to leave the two standing there, but Albel grabbed his arm. The doctor spun around to face Albel, whose piercing red eyes were fixed on him.

"Is he going to be ok?" Albel asked in a low voice with a distinct edge to it.

The doctor sighed again, running a hand through his thick hair. Luther stepped forward, looking suddenly worried. "He probably won't survive the night. The knife went through his stomach, he's lost a lot of blood. We should be able to fix that, but there's a pretty high chance of blood poisoning."

Albel let go of the doctor, looking to Fayt's lifeless form lying on the hospital bed. _He probably won't survive the night… Fayt… I can't let you…_ Albel turned his gaze to Luther, glaring at him. _This is Luther's fault. For taking him away._

Luther stepped back, nodding, his eyes blank and unreadable. It annoyed Albel that Luther could be so upset over Fayt. Only _he _should care, because Fayt belonged to Albel, and only Albel. Both boys looked each other in the eye, and though the tension was still there, this changed everything.

"We're going to try to take the knife out of him. It'll cause more bleeding, but that should be alright." The doctor looked up at Albel, then Luther. "We won't wake him up for it, but you two can stay if you want."

The man walked off, presumably to find Fayt's mother. Albel took in a deep breath and walked to the bed where Fayt lay, three doctors around him. _If he doesn't wake up again, then that was the last time I'll talk to him._ The knowledge hit Albel hard, and he could only watch, powerless, as the doctors prepared to take the knife out of Fayt.

_But that was mine. Meant for me. I should be lying dead on Luther's floor. And instead it's Fayt…_ Guilt settled into Albel. And stayed with him as he watched, nervously, as the doctors took the knife out of Fayt.

They managed to get the knife out, while Fayt still slept, knocked out from painkillers now. But the blood flowed freely out of him, no matter how hard they tried to stop it. Albel fought to contain his emotions, though really he wanted nothing more than to push everyone else away and hold Fayt close to him. And then no one else would be able to see him, to touch him, to feel the warm, red blood flowing out of him.

Luther was as silent as Albel then, just watching as Fayt was bandaged. The two of them didn't say a word to each other for a long time. Fayt's mother never showed up, but Albel had a feeling she was still out looking for him.

The hours began to pass more quickly. Albel was starting to become restless, pacing around the room. Doctors came in at least once an hour to check on Fayt, usually to change the blood-stained bandages. And in the passing of time, watching Fayt breathe and sleep and bleed, Albel could feel the rivalry between him and Luther.

It was in the way they looked at each other, sending glares over Fayt's body. Luther's face was still smeared with blood, and his hands were covered in cuts. Albel knew he had a cut across his face, slanting down his cheek. None of the doctors seemed to want to ask what had happened, both boys were too intently focused on Fayt to worry about any injuries they might have.

Just past midnight, two doctors walked in, wheeling a new machine. Albel spun to face them immediately, glaring sharply. "What are you doing to him?" he snapped, pointing at the machine.

"Giving him more blood," one doctor, a blonde woman, answered, sounding annoyed.

Albel nodded and stepped aside, allowing them to transfer more blood into Fayt, who still seemed to be losing blood. _ He is bleeding pretty heavily… probably worse on the inside. _Crimson eyes examined the tank. _Enough for now I guess._ And the two of them sank back into their pattern of watching and waiting.

The pattern was interrupted again in the early morning. Albel's eyes were fixed on Fayt's sleeping face, when Fayt stirred slightly. Luther must have noticed it too, because they both leaned forward. Slowly, Fayt's eyes opened, revealing their dulled green color.

"Fayt!" Albel's voice was quiet, yet urgent. Fayt looked to Albel and tried to sit up, only to wince in pain. Albel touched Fayt's arm and shook his head. "Don't push yourself."

Fayt smiled and leaned back onto the bed. "You care." Albel raised one black eyebrow. Fayt's smile broadened. "You're always so distant, Albel. Until you came to rescue me from Luther, I didn't know…"

Albel knelt down next to Fayt. "It took me too long to realize."

"Am I going to be ok?" Fayt asked, a sort of child-like innocence in his voice that Albel adored.

Albel looked away from Fayt's green eyes. "They don't think you'll survive the night." He fixed his gaze on the white bed sheets, now flecked with drops of red blood.

On the other side of Fayt's bed, Luther knelt down. "Fayt." His voice was even.

Albel looked up as Fayt turned his head to Luther. _If Luther even tries to touch him, he's going to regret it. _

"Do you feel ok?" Luther asked, and Albel hated to admit to himself that Luther sounded like he actually cared.

There was a long silence as Fayt stared at Luther. "Why?" he asked. Just one word, but it was enough. They all knew.

Luther never wavered. "Because I love you. You should have let me get him."

Albel's hands clenched into fists. He didn't care what Luther thought of him, or if Luther wanted him dead. It was about Fayt, not him. Albel hated the idea of Luther lusting after Fayt, but the idea that Luther actually loved Fayt was worse.

"Luther…" Fayt's voice was weak. "Don't hurt him."

The blonde stroked Fayt's cheek. "Fayt…"

Albel glared at Luther from across the bed. "Get your hands _off_ him." Albel's voice was threatening, and Luther let go.

The door swung open and a young, black-haired doctor walked in. "Oh, he's awake! Good. How do you feel Fayt?"

Albel rolled his eyes and stood aside, reluctantly letting the doctor examine Fayt, though he would have preferred no one else touch Fayt at all. _After what Luther did to him, and just last night… I shouldn't let anyone else near him. But I don't have a choice._ Albel scowled. _Besides, he's just a doctor._

Still, Albel's whole body was tense as the doctor unwrapped the bandage around Fayt's waist and carefully examined the wound through a sluggish flow of blood. Finally, he took his hands off Fayt's stomach and Albel relaxed. Luther must have noticed, because his eyes were full of mocking as he stood up.

The doctor sighed, looking down at Fayt. "The blood is much slower from the wound. But we just finished tests." He sighed again, looking tired. "You have blood poisoning. By now, you could go into shock, and then you're highly likely to die."

Fayt's eyes widened, but he nodded, the news was somewhat expected. Another doctor, this one old and graying, came in then, swiftly hooking Fayt up to an IV containing medicine. Albel watched warily, but the man only needed Fayt's arm. And with that done, they left, saying Fayt needed to be supervised but they didn't have enough doctors, and trusting Albel or Luther would yell if there was a problem.

As soon as the door closed, Luther looked up at Albel and laughed humorlessly. "Won't even let the doctors touch him, Albel?"

Albel narrowed his eyes at Luther. "You bastard."

Luther laughed again. "He offered himself to me, it wasn't rape. And Fayt didn't seem to mind."

Anger rose up in Albel, an he fought to control it. "Didn't seem to mind! He was bargaining with you, that's it!"

"Sure didn't act like it, did you Fayt?" Luther's voice was smug. Fayt looked away and blushed. "I'm surprised he had enough energy to do it again in the morning."

Fayt blushed more deeply at that, which Albel had to inwardly admit made him look cute. "Y-you were going to kill Albel… I had to stop you."

Luther smiled at Albel. "He's good, too. Really good."

The color in Fayt's cheeks came right back. Albel smirked at Luther. "I know." It was enough to remind Luther whose bed Fayt was usually in.

Frowning, Luther looked down at Fayt. _He should have never slept with Fayt. He's going to pay. And if Fayt acted as willing as he said… He must have been desperate to stop Luther._

Red eyes turned on Fayt, who looked back up at him and shivered. Albel frowned. "Fayt, you're shivering. It's not cold." Fayt shrugged in response. Albel reached out and touched his cheek. It was eerily cold against his warm hand.

Luther looked up at Albel, though this time with concern in his voice. "Is he ok?"

"Must be the blood poisoning," Albel's eyes remained fixed on Fayt. "Do you feel ok?"

Fayt shivered again. "I'm cold."

Albel wanted to hold Fayt in his arms then, to keep him warm and safe from Luther. Fayt looked up at him, his eyes full of fear. _He's afraid of dying…_ Albel knelt next to Fayt and leaned in, black and blonde hair falling over his shoulders. "You're going to be ok," he whispered in Fayt's ear.

And Fayt just looked up at him with hopeless eyes.

**Author's Note:** Are my notes too cheerful after all the angst? Hm. So did any of you do Day of Silence? It was for lesibans, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and their "allies". That's most of you. I did it. It was really cool. I was the only one at my school who did it. Everyone else is afraid they'll be called gay. Ah, it's great to already be known as "The Bi Girl" anyway. XD Review if you feel like it. Tolanya doesn't mind if you don't anymore.

Yes AlbelFittir- I have taken your advice. Welcome to 16 reviews. XD


	4. Colors

-1**Disclaimer:** Alas! Star Ocean doth not belongth to me.

**Date Posted: **May 20, 2006

**Author's Note: **I'm so sorry! It's been more than the two weeks I usually give myself before posting something! But my internet went KABOOM! Anyway, wow. People really liked Lethal Triangle more than this one, hm? I guess that Albel was more in character. Personally, I like both of them, so no worries about me quitting.

Albel didn't sleep that night. By the time doctors stopped visiting and turned the lights out to let Fayt sleep, he guessed it was about 3 AM. Luther sat in a chair next to Fayt's bed, sleeping. And that left Albel alone with Fayt, sitting in a chair beside him, watching him intently.

His mind was focused on Fayt, on the quick breaths he was taking. The mere way he was breathing scared Albel, though he wouldn't admit it. _He just looks so sick. _In the dim light cast by the moon through the windows, Albel could tell Fayt was pale. He would shiver sometimes, his body curling up as if to keep warm.

The time dragged by as Albel watched Fayt sleep. He had all the time in the world in that room with Luther, plenty of time to kill him, and the only thing Albel could focus on was Fayt. _If he goes into shock, he'll die. And then it's over._

That thought was what kept Albel up, watching Fayt. Eventually, the sun started to rise, dying the fabric of the sky a soft orange. Fayt woke up then, for the first time that day.

He opened his eyes to find himself staring up at Albel. "Albel?" He asked sleepily.

Albel smirked at him; smiling was something Albel never did. "You're ok?"

Fayt nodded and studied Albel's face carefully. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

Albel shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"You weren't there." Fayt reached out and touched Albel's hand. His hand was cold against Albel's, but Albel didn't flinch. "You don't know what it was like."

Red eyes were fixed on Fayt's green ones. "What did he do?"

The blue-haired boy tugged on Albel's hand, pulling him closer. "He let me be with someone else. Not you. You should have been the only one, Albel…"

_So he regrets it._ Albel shook his head again. "Fayt, it's ok. I don't care what you did with him."

Fayt sat up, slowly, and slid out of bed, standing next to Albel. Without hesitating, he leaned in and kissed Albel, arms wrapping around his neck. It took Albel a second to realize _Fayt _was kissing _him_ without any prompting from him. And then he pulled Fayt closer and kissed him back, sliding his tongue into Fayt's mouth. His hands quickly found a spot on Fayt's hips, sliding under his pants.

Fayt pulled away to breathe first. "I just missed the way you kiss," he whispered.

Albel didn't answer, he just held Fayt's cold, pale body as close to him as he could.

"Albel? Did you even like any of them?" Fayt's voice was soft and innocent, and it took all of Albel's self control not to rip his pants off.

"Who?" he asked instead.

"The other boys. The ones before me."

Albel frowned slightly and pulled away to look Fayt in the eye. "No. It was only lust, and they knew it. You're… I love you."

Fayt smiled. "I love you, Albel."

Albel leaned in, roughly kissing Fayt, and felt him relax. It was all he needed right then, to know he could make Fayt feel better. _And if he survives this, I'm going to take him away from Luther. _They stood there, embracing silently, letting everything melt away for just a little while.

He could feel how weak Fayt was, and reluctantly Albel let go of him. "You need to rest, ok?" A small part of Albel hated that he sounded so worried, but it was crushed by the fact that it was _Fayt _he was worrying about.

Fayt nodded and lay back down, closing his eyes. It wasn't long after he fell asleep that Luther woke up, his black eyes instantly fixing on Albel, full of hatred. "Did he wake up?" Luther snapped.

Albel smirked. "Yeah. Not too long ago."

Luther narrowed his eyes and looked from Albel to Fayt. Albel just sat there, smirking, and let Luther figure it out on his own. _Because Fayt is mine, and he wants me to kiss him._ And with that, they settled back into their routine of waiting and watching.

Albel could feel the waiting starting to wear down on him. Every time Luther moved, he could almost sense it in the quietness of the room. And when neither of them moved, the silence was thick, tangible. Once, Fayt made a small noise in his sleep, a tiny whimper. Both boys leaned forward to comfort him, only to look the other in the eye and glare before leaning back.

If their rivalry had been strong before Fayt got hurt, it was only stronger now, and growing. Reasonable thought was slipping away and giving way to pure, undefined hatred, because now Fayt was in danger, and now he needed someone to be there for him, and both of them were there, when there was only room for one.

According to the digital clock hung on the wall above the door, it was 7 AM when a doctor finally came in and broke the silence. He was the same doctor who had first spoken to Albel and Luther, and glanced at each of them now. "Had he woken up yet?"

Luther nodded. "Just once."

The doctor looked from Luther to Albel, then nodded back. "Hopefully he'll start to wake up more often." Albel watched warily as he unraveled the bandage around Fayt's waist, staring at the cut there.

It occurred to Albel that there would probably be a scar there for the rest of Fayt's life. _Because of Luther. Luther marked him._ The thought irked Albel, but was brushed aside as the doctor wrapped a new bandage around Fayt, and Albel tensed again as he watched.

Albel relaxed more as the doctor finished bandaging Fayt and let go of him. He carefully refilled the medicine in the IV, before touching two fingers to Fayt's neck, feeling his pulse. Albel's hand twitched, and reflexes begged him to grab the man's wrist and bend it back. Then the doctor let go of Fayt, and he shook the thought away.

"His mother still hasn't shown up, you know." The doctor remarked, as if he were launching into an explanation, though Albel couldn't care less where Fayt's mother was. "We called the police, to make sure everything was ok. They went down to her house. She's been shot."

Albel's eyes fixed on Luther instantly, trying to read him. Luther sighed in fake sympathy, but gave nothing away in his eyes. The doctor seemed to note the silent exchange before continuing. "It's not going to be easy for him when he wakes up. He'll have to find somewhere to live. Could he live with his father?"

"Dead," Albel answered, eyes fixed on Fayt's sleeping face.

The doctor's brown eyes studied Albel, but the boy didn't give him a glance. "Does he have any other relatives?"

"Not that he cares about," Albel answered coldly.

The man frowned, and Albel met it with a glare. He looked away, turning to Luther instead. "So then he's alone?"

Luther nodded, a small nod he seemed to use often. "Now he is, anyway. Except for the two of us."

He seemed to take this in, face contorted in an expression of thoughtfulness. "What exactly are you two to him?" The doctor seemed to be picking his words carefully, and still he managed to ask a question that had them both glaring at each other in an instant. He waved a dismissive hand. "I know, you're his lover, and you're…." He looked up at Luther. "A friend, you say. It's none of my business, but you two… don't seem fond of each other."

_That's an understatement._ Albel shrugged as if he didn't care. "What is it to you?"

The doctor studied Albel carefully for a moment. "I'm not blind," he remarked. "There's… more to you two than you're telling us."

Albel turned to him, red eyes glowing. "Maybe you should be blind to it. Nothing is going on here that concerns _you._"

The man merely smiled knowingly. "No, it doesn't. Just don't let it get to Fayt. He's going to have a lot to deal with when he wakes up."

Crimson eyes reassessed the doctor before Albel looked away. "I know," he answered quietly.

The doctor nodded, almost sympathetic. _I don't need his pity, or his advice. I can handle this by myself, I always have. I've always been by myself. _Albel cast a glance at Fayt. _Not anymore. I can do everything by myself, but without Fayt it means nothing._

The sound of the doctor's clean white sneakers hitting the clean white floor reached Albel's ears, and he registered that him and Luther were alone now, except for Fayt's sleeping body. Luther looked at him for a moment, before opening his mouth and breaking the silence with his simple, determined words. "I'm not going to give up."

Albel glared at him, before sitting in the chair on his side of Fayt's bed and staring at the sleeping boy. He heard Luther do the same, and the silence poured down, filling the air again, chipping away at Albel's mind.

A thousand things must have gone through Albel's mind that day, blindingly bright thoughts that made the love and hate and defiance that normally ran through his mind a pale, washed out color compared to the neon colors he thought in now. He wondered if Luther could feel it too; the atmosphere that was crushing him, and he wanted to fight back so badly. Albel could feel all the energy building up in him, wishing he could fight and make everything okay. Because anything was better than sitting by Fayt's bedside, helplessly watching him.

Fayt stirred during the evening, and Albel's focus on him intensified. Deep green eyes cracked open, revealing their bright color against his washed-out, pale skin. And then Fayt was awake and staring up at Albel.

Relief consumed Albel, and the bright neon colors swirling in his mind intensified. "Fayt!" Albel leaned in, staring into Fayt's eyes, and for some reason the only thing he could think was that Fayt had beautifully alluring eyes.

Fayt smiled cutely at Albel. "Albel, have you been here the whole time?" The way he said Albel's name was soft and innocent, and Albel knew this was why he was still there in that hospital.

Luther's colder voice cut in, dripping with jealousy. "We both have."

Fayt looked to Luther, and Albel noted that he was breathing harder, as if it was difficult for him to get air. "Fayt, you're breathing hard. Are you ok?" The blue-haired boy nodded, but Albel sensed he was lying. "Fayt, you don't look ok." He reached out and took Fayt's hand, feeling the pulse on his wrist. It was beating rapidly, but it was a very faint pulsing.

Albel looked up at Luther instantly, and for a moment Fayt himself was more important than their rivalry over him. The blonde boy reached out for Fayt's other wrist, but Fayt pulled it away. "What's wrong?" Luther asked, looking apprehensively at Albel.

"It's weak," Albel answered. The neon colored thoughts rushed through his mind all at once, and Albel suddenly found himself pulling Fayt up to him and hugging him tightly. "Hang on, Fayt," he whispered.

Luther took one look at them and stood up, walking out of the room and yelling for a doctor. Albel didn't care what happened, he wasn't going to let go of Fayt. Fayt didn't even try to hug Albel, he just lay in Albel's arms weakly.

"Don't die, don't die, please _don't die_," Albel whispered over and over.

"I'm going to be alright," Fayt whispered back. "I'm ok."

_He just doesn't want me to worry. If he dies… if he dies…._

Albel's thoughts didn't make sense even to him. They were a jumble of emotions and blindingly bright colors. When the door flung open and several pairs of footsteps sounded against the cold, white floor, Albel barely noticed. All he knew was that Fayt was _dying_, so clearly dying.

A soft female voice came from behind Albel. "It's going to be ok. Can you let go of him?" He clung more tightly to Fayt, looking back at the woman with narrowed red eyes. "Please, we need to treat him."

Slowly, Albel set Fayt down. And he could see the change in Fayt- from safe and comfortable to suddenly scared and alone. Doctors swarmed around him, and Albel stepped back, leaning against the far wall.

Whatever they did was a blur to Albel, people shouting at each other, muttering curses, and fussing around Fayt. But when the crowd thinned out to only two doctors, Fayt still looked like he was dying. He just lay there, eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling.

Albel and Luther exchanged glances, mixes of hatred and worry, before both walked towards Fayt again. One of the doctors, a woman with short blonde hair, explained. "He's gone into shock. He may collapse during the day, and if he does, just let him sleep."

"Is he going to die?" Albel asked sharply.

She sighed. "We don't know. It's highly possible, then again, he was in pretty good shape before the wound. Speaking of it, how did he get that knife stuck in him? You two look like you were in a fight yourselves."

Luther answered quickly, "We were attacked. We both tried to keep her away from Fayt, but she threw the knife at him."

Albel glanced at Luther, but his expression gave away nothing. The nurse nodded, seeming to believe Luther's story. "Do you remember what she looked like?" The woman asked, looking to Luther. Luther nodded confidently. "Then we'll need you to come with us and describe her to the police." She turned to Albel. "Do you remember her?"

_Luther might have a plan._ "No," Albel answered, glaring at Luther. _He stabbed Fayt. But it doesn't matter, not if Fayt dies._

The doctor nodded and led Luther out of the room, the second doctor following them. And then Albel turned to Fayt, a million colors he couldn't name rushing through his head. Somehow he still managed to see Fayt, green eyes staring up at him. He slowly knelt in front of the bed, taking Fayt's hand in his. "I'm sorry," Albel whispered.

Fayt shook his head. "You didn't do it. Luther did. Albel, am I going to die?"

Albel looked down. An awkward neon green exploded in his head, and he blurted out, "I don't know."

Emerald eyes were studying Albel carefully when he looked back up. "I don't want to die." It was the simplest thing he could have said then.

The colors in Albel's head all turned to bright, burning red. Somewhere in his mind, he thought he might be going mad, and then there was no time for thought as he leaned in and kissed Fayt firmly. He could feel Fayt's breath catch and pulled away to let him breathe, their lips still touching. "I don't want you to die, not before I do."

Black and blonde hair spilled over Albel's shoulders and around Fayt as they stared at each other silently. It was Fayt who broke the silence. "Don't give up if I die," he whispered.

Albel didn't answer. He just stared back at Fayt, and they didn't need words. Everything had gone too far to be solved by simple promises. And for the first time in his life, Albel knew he would have to do what he feared- rely on love.

**Author's Note:** There you go! XD I'll try to post chapter 5 early, mmk? Maybe next weekend. Ohh, I'm going to an anime convention next weekend! I'm so excited. I'm cosplaying as Namine from Kingdom Hearts. And no one has the ugly blue shoes I need. Ah well. Anyway, Albel is kind of losing it, isn't he? Yes, he is. Wait until the later chapters… You have no idea how much music is inspiring Albel's madness and Luther's jealousy. It's quite awesome. I'm really starting to like his story, you know that? Having less readers is fun! XD But feel free to review anyway.


	5. No Time To Name This Chapter

-1**Disclaimer: **Tolanya doesn't own anything but her new YAOI my anti-drug shirt.

**Date Posted: **June 27,2006

**Author's Note:** Ahhh, it's been over a month! Dead internet. Yeah. Only on the computer where I keep this story though. Ah, this poor little cult favorite. XD Yes, you are a cult now. So um, back to Albel's insanity! My sister says this is the best chapter, so I hope it makes up for everything like dumb internet connections! Also, I'll go ahead and throw in chapter 6, ok? Alright, I better post this before the internet decides to die!

Another day dragged by, Albel and Luther and Fayt in the room together. The colors in Albel's mind only grew brighter, shining neon oranges and bright turquoises onto everything. He could _see_ the tension between him and Luther, a bright blue streak through the air between them. He could_ see _Fayt's pain and fear, a glowing red around him. And when he touched Fayt, there was a burst of hot pink, an emotion Albel didn't want to call love.

When Fayt woke up, it was worse. Luther would make sure he was ok, would worry about him like it was his lover lying on the bed, dying. And Fayt would seem all too aware of what was happening, his eyes sharply flicking from Luther to Albel.

It was midnight when things finally started to fall apart. Fayt woke up, his eyes slowly opening to reveal their strikingly green color. Albel looked up at Luther immediately with a low growl. Luther narrowed his eyes, hatred glinting in them.

Fayt tilted his head back, staring up at the headboard. "Why?" he asked, directing it at both boys.

They knew what he meant. Albel flicked his gaze over to Fayt. "Because he's trying to take you away from me."

Luther snapped back, "He's not your property!"

Albel's arms tensed, ready for a fight. Luther smirked confidently, leaning forward to meet Albel's even glare. A different sort of neon red, darker and glinting in sunlight somewhere in Albel's mind, was there. Not fear. It was anger. Jealousy. Hatred. Everything he thrived on.

"Albel, don't." Fayt's voice was weak, but firm enough for someone who was dying, Albel stopped, looked back at him. "Not now, Albel." He coughed, cutting off his words, then gasped for air. Albel leaned forward immediately.

"Fayt, are you alright?" He was surprised by how calm he sounded, taking Fayt's hand and leaning in, letting all the colors blend and mix freely into something he didn't know and couldn't name.

"Don't…." Fayt whispered, his voice trailing off. Albel nodded, crimson eyes studying Fayt carefully. "Don't let yourself."

_He can tell… I **need** to kill Luther. What if Fayt gets stolen again?_

"I'm sorry," Albel whispered back. "I can't help it."

Fayt's eyes begged him not to do anything, to sit and wait. And that was something Albel had never been able to do. He would rather kill Luther now and have Fayt to himself before he died than wait here for Fayt to die.

But it was _Fayt_ asking him not to. And that changed everything. Fayt wanted them to be together as much as he did. _And if he can sit around and wait, maybe I can. Maybe._

As Fayt drifted off into sleep again, Albel found himself less sure he could just sit and watch. Fayt was aware of the rivalry, and it was tearing him apart. _He loves me. Luther is just in the way. _Albel examined Luther carefully as the boy stared at Fayt. He wasn't as tall as Albel, but still taller than Fayt, though he was more well-built than Albel, whose body was thin, made for swiftness and not strength.

_He's actually not that bad looking. He could give Fayt more than I could… After all, he has his whole gang. And around here, that's worth more than love. Fayt could leave me and he might be better off for it. He's a fool for sticking around when he could be with Luther._ Albel glanced at Fayt. _A fool, but I love him for it. God, he's beautiful when he's sleeping._

Luther shifted slightly in his seat, and there was a sparkle of neon colors near him. They all merged into a neon green; a sort of color that put Albel on edge. "Do you think," Luther spoke softly, "We're hurting him?"

"Of course you are, maggot," Albel snapped.

"Not me," Luther answered, his voice still calm. "Us. Fighting over him. Haven't you noticed how he is when we yell and fight? He doesn't want to be caught up in our fight."

Albel crossed his arms and looked down at the floor. "I'm not backing down. Fayt is mine, and you can't take him away."

Luther sighed and shook his head. "That's not what I meant. Albel-" He cut off abruptly, staring down at Fayt. "That's exactly what I meant. We can't stop competing over him. He could be dying, and all we're doing is wearing him down more. Can't we settle this?"

"No," Albel answered, not looking up for fear his eyes would give away how much he cared. "We can only wait." The colors morphed into bright cerulean blue, ocean waves lapping at his mind.

Luther's voice, harsh and angry, broke the momentary thoughtful silence. "Don't you get it! Fayt is better off with me! Just leave and stop causing him trouble! That's all you ever do. You just cause him more and more problems. You're violent, you're too rough even with him, we both know you've taken enough lovers before him, you _can't accept that you love him!_"

Albel's head shot up, blood red eyes glaring at Luther. He didn't answer, he didn't need to. _Fayt is different from everyone else. Maybe I can't ever love, but even I know that there's something between us. He was always different, ever since I found him… _Something about the room made Albel remember everything. A blur of colors blocked out everything else, and he lost himself in the memory, knowing he couldn't avoid it.

It had been only around two years since they met. A slightly younger Albel was walking down a road, made soft by a layer of snow. Something by the side of the road caught his eye, and Albel looked around to make sure no one was there before walking to it.

It was a boy, badly hurt as if he had been beaten, lying on the ground bleeding. He looked to be around Albel's age, with messy blue hair and a striking face stained by a black bruise near his jaw. Albel smirked and bent down over the boy. _Well, this could be interesting._ He ran an absent hand over the boy's chest, partly exposed by a ripped shirt. _Definitely worth keeping._

With that, Albel changed everything. He dragged Fayt back to his trailer and let him sleep there. It was only when Fayt woke up that Albel even began to realize he was different from the other boys.

He had immediately sat up and looked around, green eyes resting on Albel. "Who are you?"

Albel let his eyes wander freely over Fayt before answering, "I found you lying there. Brought you back here." He stood and walked towards Fayt, reaching out and running a finger down the boy's neck.

Fayt whimpered in a way that somehow didn't make him seem weak, and scooted back on the couch. Albel frowned slightly, reassessing him. _He might be worth the wait. Let him get to know me. He does have a sort of way…. _Albel smirked. _He could be fun._

Fayt looked up at Albel, then shook his head. "I-I'm sorry, I should… I mean, you saved me… And around here…" Fayt stood up. "I guess I owe it to you. If you hadn't found me, someone else would have… you know."

_He's cute._ Albel thought about it for a moment. "You're already gay, aren't, you?"

"Y-yeah. I guess." Fayt shrugged.

Albel nodded. "What's your name?"

"Fayt," he answered in a small voice.

"Fayt… hm." Albel ran a hand up Fayt's side, mentally reminding himself not to get attached to him, not even to his body. Then he wondered, as Fayt shivered underneath his touch, if he would ever even see him again. "Ever been with anyone before?"

Fayt shook his head. Something in the back of Albel's mind told him to let the boy go, there would be plenty of others. _He would really be a shame to lose._ _And since when have I cared if the boys are virgins or not?_ And still, something about Fayt was _different_. "I'll let you go this time. I won't take anything you don't want to give."

"But I offered-"

"Do you _want_ to sleep with me?" Albel cut him off, one eyebrow raised as if slightly amused. "I definitely don't mind." He allowed himself another careful look at Fayt's body.

Fayt blushed and tried to speak, but couldn't find words. "Well, you… I…"

"Go on, you can leave if you want." _I'm being too nice to him. I should have my way with him while he's still here._

Fayt nodded, thanked him quietly, and walked out the door, letting it swing closed behind him. Albel stood there for a moment, staring at the door. _What the hell is my problem? Maybe if I can just sleep with him I'll get over it._ And Albel threw the door open, calling out to Fayt, "Hey!" Fayt turned around. "If you ever want to stop by, you can. We don't have to do anything. You know how to get here?" Fayt nodded and walked off down a street, snow falling lightly over him.

Albel didn't think he would ever show up again. He wasn't too surprised when a few days went by without him even seeing Fayt. It was too cold to be out anyway.

And then after five days, he just showed up one day. Nothing happened between them, but Albel could tell the boy wanted it, or maybe he was infatuated with Albel. Either way, things slowly started to happen between them. It was unspoken and subtle, but there. Fayt would lean against Albel for a moment too long, or they would sit just a little too close.

One day Fayt stopped by, and Albel let him in as usual. He turned to Fayt, and without a word kissed him. Fayt didn't try to stop it, and Albel knew this was his chance to get Fayt. He slept with Fayt that night, and he was sure he would finally be able to forget about him the next day. Instead, he laid awake all night, holding Fayt, and thinking. _It'll hurt him. If I just sleep with him and never talk to him again…. Since when have I cared? He's not just another boy, but I don't like him any more… _Albel bit his lip. _Do I? Am I just lying to myself?_

In the morning, he was sure. Fayt was something different. Maybe because Fayt didn't think of Albel as just a boy to have sex with. And somehow, now, Albel felt more attached to Fayt than before.

He tried to fight it over the next months. Albel did his best not to like Fayt. Even to make Fayt not like him. But Fayt somehow must have seen through it, because he never left. Albel would yell at him, only to take a look at his eyes and kiss him viciously, almost regretting getting mad. He never apologized, but it seemed to be enough for Fayt.

Eventually, he started to wear down, tired of denying. And one night, sitting on the floor with Fayt leaning against him under one arm, and a beer in the other hand, Albel just spilled out his life. He would say later that they were both drunk, Fayt for the first time, and neither was thinking right. But when Fayt didn't leave him, even knowing Albel killed his own father, he knew whatever they had was going to last a while. He couldn't accept that he might _love_ Fayt, but things changed.

And slowly, so very slowly Albel knew he felt something for Fayt, maybe love. Fayt accepted it all easily, though Albel knew he had felt that way the whole time.

_But it wasn't until at Luther's that I really knew it. Me and him, we're in it till the end. _Albel stared at Fayt's sleeping body, still partly lost in memory. _Maybe I knew it from that first day, and it took me two years to accept it…_ _Doesn't matter now. We're both here._

The memories had brought new colors, blindingly bright purple that somehow reminded him of Fayt. And somehow, it was a color he didn't mind. Maybe he was used to the colors, and he didn't mind them anymore. Maybe it was just the color. _I'm losing it._

The day dragged by, colors intensified. Albel accepted them without questions, if it meant he was going mad, he didn't care. As long as Fayt survived, nothing else mattered. Albel's mind was fixed on Fayt, Fayt and Luther, who was between him and Fayt. Luther left the room once, came back with food, though it had no taste to Albel, colorless in his mind.

Everything was nearly perfectly silent, and when there was noise or movement, it only barely moved the colors. At midnight, it was Fayt who broke the silence. He suddenly let out something between a yelp and a whimper in his sleep, followed by muttering nearly incoherent. Luther reached out and put a hand on Fayt's shoulder, but the boy, still asleep, whimpered again, this time speaking more loudly. "I don't want to…. No….. I want Albel!"

Bright red fireworks, passion and love and possessiveness exploded. Albel leaned over Fayt, hugging him. "Shh, Fayt, it's ok, I'm here."

Fayt was suddenly awake, whimpering quietly. "Albel! You're here…." He glanced to the side at Luther, fear in his eyes. "Albel, he wouldn't stop, and I was so scared…"

Albel wanted to hold Fayt, to kiss him and tell him it was just a bad dream. But he didn't know how much of what Fayt dreamt was only dreams and how much was nightmares of the past few days. Instead, he bent his head into Fayt's neck, kissing it lightly. "I love you, Fayt. You know that, right?"

"I know," Fayt answered, his eyes filled with happiness suddenly.

Neon blue, not turquoise, danced across Albel's vision, strumming with electricity. It was a good color; all he wanted was to see Fayt happy, no matter what the cost.

"Fayt." Luther, from across the bed. His eyes were hurt, confused. "I… don't mean to hurt you. I know our fighting puts more stress on you, but please, don't hate me."

The blue-haired boy shook his head, but didn't say anything. He just reached his arms up and clung to Albel, his arms cold even through Albel's shirt. Luther leaned back, hatred blazing in his eyes. Fayt's fear was tangible, a nervous wave of confused oranges and greens, so bright Albel had to close his eyes and try to clear his head. But the colors, they were all in his head anyway, and they were taking over. He couldn't say if they were real or not, if he had always seen them.

"Albel… I love you," Fayt whispered, before letting Albel go and falling back onto the bed, closing his eyes. He looked nearly dead, with skin that was snow-white in it's sickly paleness.

As soon as Fayt was lying down again, breathing in and out with obvious effort like they were used to, Albel let go of him and faced Luther. "Luther, get over here," he commanded in a low, malicious voice.

Luther glared back and met the challenge, walking to Albel. Albel immediately took the blonde boy's wrist and led him out of the room, out of ear shot of Fayt. Several eyes of late-night workers and visitors followed them, and Albel dragged Luther into a bathroom, dropping his wrist and kicking all the stall doors to be sure they were alone.

"Albel, if you want to fight-"

"Shut up, Luther!" Albel cut him off in a low but urgent voice. "What the hell was that about!"

"What was what..?" Luther looked confused, and it only served to annoy Albel more.

Albel rolled his eyes and kicked a stall door violently. "You know what! Whatever the hell Fayt was dreaming about. He was scared as hell! Don't lie, I know it was something about you." He paused. "What the hell happened between you two? How far did you get before he let you fuck him because of me?" Luther thought for a moment, and Albel leaned in, stepping firmly on his foot. "Don't you dare fucking lie."

"I didn't rape him, Albel, you know I wouldn't! I mean, I kissed him and touched him-"

"You think he wanted you to do that!" Albel half-yelled.

"We both know he's better off with me, without us fighting!" Luther pushed Albel away.

Albel caught his balance again. "I know," he answered, more quietly but not without edge. "You can protect him, and you might want him more than he'd like, but you don't play rough like I do. You're the one he should stick with."

Luther seemed caught off-guard. "Albel, we both love him."

"I'm leaving," Albel said suddenly. "If the infection isn't killing Fayt, we are. He only wakes up once a day, and he wakes up to us fighting. It's not good for him, we've both heard the doctors talk about stress hurting him, making him not want to wake up…. I just want him to be happy."

The blonde boy nodded slowly. "He's all mine then?"

"Damn it," Albel muttered. "If you fucking touch him and he doesn't want it, I will find you and kill you, got it? If he does fall for you, don't you ever, ever hurt him." Blood colored eyes assessed Luther, and for once Albel hoped Luther really did love Fayt.

_It hurts to leave him. Damn it, it hurts. Who knows, maybe I'll see him again someday. Maybe I'll drown in colors. I love him, really love him, and I'm leaving._

"I'll take care of him, better than you did."

Albel threw a punch at Luther before he knew what he was doing, streaks of shining orange encouraging him. Luther was quick to respond, trying to jump back, but Albel's foot was behind his, tripping him. Albel fought with mad strength, knowing he may never have another chance to hurt Luther. He dropped to the ground and punched Luther firmly in the jaw, then kneed him in the stomach as he stood.

"Pathetic fool," Albel spat. "If you think you can protect him from whatever the hell happens, you better have good people."

Luther managed a smirk. "Oh, I do. The best."

"Tell Fayt… I love him," Albel said simply. He refused to show emotion, not even if he was admitting he loved Fayt.

"Do you?" Luther questioned.

"I said tell him, not ask me," Albel snapped. His vision was blurring in and out with colors and emotions, emotions he could see and taste.

"I will," Luther answered. "Think you'll come running back anytime?"

Albel snarled at Luther and turned to leave. His own footsteps echoed in his head as he threw the door open and stepped out into the hospital, nearly empty save for sleeping patients. Everything felt oddly sharp, painfully bright, all the colors finally mixed into one blinding, clear picture of the world around him.

He didn't really know where he was going once he left the hospital, but as Albel walked out the spinning door, he didn't hesitate. Something compelled him to keep walking. Something told him he had to avenge Fayt, to do something about this. And there was nothing.

_Whose fault is this anyway? Mine? Luther's? _Albel looked up at the sky, pitch black. No moon shone down, streetlights illuminating the way alone. And everything was sharp, so sharp. Albel just walked, letting lights fall down on him, letting the groups hanging in the shadows study him and decide he wasn't worth mugging.

Albel finally came to a street corner, abandoned, with a bus stop consisting of a bench and a canopy. _Good as anywhere_. He knew he couldn't sleep, not with everything so sharp and clear, piercing through his eyes. And so he just sat on the sidewalk, leaning against a brick building, staring out at the road.

_Fayt's gone… he's Luther's now._ The thought disgusted him, and Albel wondered if Fayt had woken up yet, been told he had left. _It was best for him. If I stayed there and fought with Luther over him, Fayt wouldn't have been able to take it anymore._

_And I don't think I can take being away from him._ Albel leaned back, decided he would spend the night here, even if he didn't sleep.

He didn't. The colors were gone now, but replaced by something that put him on edge, left him with thoughts of nothing but Fayt and revenge. And the refrain in the back of his head, _I need to kill something, I need to kill something, I need to kill something_.

Night slowly faded into morning, and Albel hadn't moved. He just sat, watching the sun rise. Eventually, people slowly started to come out onto the sidewalk, one by one. And then a group came, obviously a gang of some sort that had probably been up all night drinking.

The urge to kill something was growing stronger in Albel, coursing through his blood, begging to be let out. _Because Fayt is with Luther. Fayt is with Luther. **My** Fayt, mine, with Luther._ And with sudden force, Albel leapt up, yanked out a pocket knife and drove it into the back of one of them.

The others, of course, turned around and went after Albel, but madness, the **need** to kill, drove him. He pulled the knife out, turned on another one and slashed his throat open. More blood gushed out and still it wasn't enough for Albel. The color, brilliant red, set the clarity of his world on fire with it's sharpness.

Somewhere, he could hear the scream of a little girl. Albel's mouth twisted into a smirk, and he cut through another boy's neck, left with only two now. One tried to run, and Albel threw the knife into his back. The other was a girl who ran to him as he fell, and Albel could tell instantly they were lovers. Before she could take the knife out, Albel stepped on it, driving it through the boy, then bent and yanked it out.

She tried to knock Albel over with a swift kick to the knee, but Albel leapt to the side, and slid the knife in between her ribs easily. He pulled it out, and the girl clutched at her side, dropping down. Albel knelt, slammed her into the ground, and slid the knife over her neck, feeling the flesh split beneath it.

And then he just stayed there, on the ground, looking down at the bodies and the blood. _Must avenge Fayt- I will avenge Fayt- Everyone will **die** because I left him- This is the end-_ Albel's thoughts were all chopped into pieces, pieces he could barely understand.

Somehow, he could see Fayt, kneeling beside him, holding out his hand. There was a ringing noise in his ears as he stared up at Fayt. "I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely, "It was for your own good."

Fayt didn't move. He just knelt there, staring intently at Albel, hand still outstretched. Albel reached out, tried to take his hand. And Fayt just faded away, leaving Albel grabbing at air.

The rest was a blur. There were lights, sirens, police officers, and he was in a jail cell. That was when he knew. _I killed five people. I'm going to get the death penalty for this. Fayt is gone for good…_


	6. There Is Panic At Every Good Disco

-1It was dark when Fayt woke up for the second time since Albel had left. The doctors said he was getting better, that he might be ready to leave by morning. Luther was still awake, and he smiled at Fayt, though unconvincingly. _Luther… he killed my mother so he could keep me. He'll find a way to make sure I go back with him, no matter how much pain it causes me._

"Fayt…" Luther trailed off, and Fayt looked up at him. "Fayt, they just told me. Albel's been arrested."

That woke Fayt up. He sat up abruptly, staring at Luther. "Why? What did he do?"

Luther sighed. "It was the middle of the day. He killed five people, on a street corner near here." Luther leaned in, his face inches from Fayt's. "They think he'll get the death penalty."

Fayt's world went blank for a second. "No- not Albel… They _can't_…."

"Don't you see? This means me and you have nothing to worry about." There was a harsh undertone to Luther's words, and Fayt wondered if he was _glad_ Albel was going to be killed.

Fayt turned away, wiping tears out of his eyes. Slowly, he lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. Shock coursed through his veins, despair pounded in his head. _Nobody can kill Albel. He's too strong, he'd never let anyone._

Fayt turned on his side suddenly, looking up at Luther. "Are you sure? You really think they'll kill him?"

Luther's eyes turned cold. "Yeah. I've seen it done for guys who only committed one murder."

_I knew Albel was like this. I've known for so long, but I always thought he must have had a reason to kill his father. He wouldn't just go and kill someone for the fun of it… Something **must** have happened to him._

"Do you know why he did it?" Fayt asked.

"The reporters say he was mad. I mean crazy, insane. He killed all five of them with no problem, then he started talking to himself, reaching out for something." Luther shrugged. "Does it matter? It's just me and you now, and the doctors say you'll be out tomorrow."

Luther didn't even try to hide what he meant with his voice, and his eyes were running over Fayt's exposed chest. _No, not again… I need to help Albel. I don't care if he killed those people, I won't let them kill him!_ And yet, there was fear. No matter what he might say or think, Fayt was afraid of Luther.

Fear was what kept Fayt from stopping Luther. Fear was what kept Fayt from protesting when Luther took him home the next morning, after a sleepless night spent worrying about Albel.

It felt awkward to walk again, and Fayt still wore a bandage around his waist. The wound was healing, but it was still there. Despite that, Fayt was ready to leave Luther, to find Albel. He didn't know how, but Fayt _had_ to rescue Albel.

At first, Luther just let him sleep. He must have been busy, because Fayt didn't see him again until night. And _that_ was what he had been so afraid of. Being alone with Luther, in his room, in his bed.

But Luther didn't try anything. He lay there, holding Fayt against himself. Fayt tried to close his eyes, to imagine it was Albel, but Albel held him more tightly, like he could never get enough of Fayt.

"Fayt," Luther started softly, "Why did you love him?"

The question startled Fayt. "Because… I just do," he answered quietly.

"How'd you meet a guy like him? I mean, you come from… a different part of town."

"I was hurt," Fayt answered, his voice almost a whisper. "He saved me. And I don't know what happened… I think he saved me so he could sleep with me." Fayt could feel himself blush as he finished.

Luther just nodded. "I can see why."

Fayt didn't ask what he meant, just closed his eyes and fell asleep, Luther still holding him. He dreamed vividly that night, haunted dreams.

_Albel sat on the floor in a prison cell, his hands chained to the wall. Fayt tried to run to him, to pull him out, but something held him back. He couldn't move, his shoulders refused. Fayt spun around and came face to face with Luther. "Come on Fayt, just leave him there," Luther commanded him._

_Fayt turned back to Albel, but now a man knelt next to Albel, injecting poison into his body. "No! Albel! You can't kill him, I won't let you!" He tugged on Luther's hand, trying to make him help. "Please, Luther, help him! Just let him live!"_

_But Albel was dying anyway, and Fayt still couldn't move. He begged his legs to move, to save Albel, but he only watched as Albel died._

Someone whispered Fayt's name, waking him up. "Fayt, are you alright?" It was Luther, still lying next to him.

"A-Albel…." It was the only thing that Fayt could say.

Before he knew what was happening, Luther had pinned Fayt firmly to the bed and was on top of him. "What do I have to do to make you forget him? How many times do I need to be with you before you're mine and not his!"

"No," Fayt whispered. "You can't make me forget him."

There was madness in Luther's eyes, something wasn't _right_. Violently, he kissed Fayt, his tongue breaking past Fayt's lips. Fayt didn't want to kiss back, but he was driven by fear. Their tongues met and Fayt let Luther take control. It must have been enough for Luther that Fayt would kiss him. He broke away and rolled off Fayt, breathing heavily.

"But you _are_ mine now. I can love you more than he did. Don't you want to be with me, Fayt?" Luther's eyes seemed so raw and honest suddenly, and Fayt had to wonder if Luther really did have feelings for him beyond lust.

And then Luther was sitting up, pulling Fayt up with him. Fayt winced slightly, but said nothing. He didn't really know what happened next. Only that Luther undressed him, held him down, and pulled Fayt's legs up, letting them fall over the blonde boy's shoulders.

Fayt didn't try to stop Luther, afraid Luther would just make it worse. He just closed his eyes, waited, wished himself in another place. But Luther didn't move. "Fayt. _Do_ you want to be with me?"

"I-I want… I want Albel," Fayt managed in a broken voice.

"Let me be him. I want you, Fayt." Luther's voice was low and demanding.

Fayt opened his eyes, green and filled with tears. Luther ignored it, and took Fayt anyway. Fayt didn't know if he screamed or not. Only that he shut his eyes and felt pain. Luther's left hand drifted down from his shoulder to his hip, pulling Fayt closer. Behind closed eyes, Fayt could see Albel for a moment, and then there was more pain. He couldn't say how long it was before Luther finished with him.

The blonde boy let go of Fayt to drag both his hands over Fayt's legs, then pushed them off his shoulders to fall around him. Luther lay down next to him, legs still tangled. His lips softly touched Fayt's neck, trailing up to his lips. His tongue caressed Fayt's lips gently, then more forcefully when Fayt didn't respond. Barely pulling away, Luther pushed one finger into Fayt's mouth, pulled it out and slid his tongue in. Fayt was still too numb to do anything but let Luther have his fun until both closed their eyes and fell asleep.

The room was bright when Fayt woke up, and he closed his eyes again for a moment. His head was pounding, most of his body sore. Luther lay next to him, uncomfortably close. "I won't lose you to him anymore," Luther whispered. Fayt shivered, feeling a chill rush through him at Luther's voice.

"But, Luther-" Fayt began, then stopped. _If I make him mad at me, he'll just do it again. And again, until I stop talking about Albel. I just need a way out of here, before it's too late._

"Don't worry," Luther said softly. "he's gone." There was a silence. "Fayt? Did Albel ever hit you?"

"No," Fayt answered quietly. "I know he seems like he would, but he was… different. He was never really… gentle, but he wouldn't just outright hit me."

Luther assessed Fayt quickly, then hugged him. "I'm sorry."

Without any explanation, Luther stood up, dressed, and left. _Sorry… for the way Albel treated me? That was all before this anyway. I **do** love Albel, and I will find him again. It's just a matter of time._

Luther spent most of the day busy, talking to people, driving off and coming back. Fayt had no idea before then just how many people were under Luther. _And Albel just barged right in here, none of them stopped him. He could have just called the police, anyone else would have._ If Fayt wasn't in awe of Albel before, he was now.

And at the end of the day, Fayt found himself alone with Luther again. This time, Luther wasn't harsh or forceful. He just lay next to Fayt, talking softly.

"They start his trial tomorrow. If Albel knows what he's doing, he'll plead guilty and maybe they won't kill him. Then again, they probably will. Who knows what he'll do though? Last time I saw Albel, when he left, he was half mad."

_Tomorrow… then I don't have much time. Maybe there isn't a way to save him. What do I know about breaking out of prison? Maybe he'll just die there…_

Fayt shivered and Luther wrapped an arm around Fayt. "I can't believe it's finally just the two of us," he whispered into Fayt's neck. "He had you for years.Do you know how afraid I was you'd never leave him?"

_I didn't leave him. He left me…_ Fayt looked at Luther, studied his face. "Why were you always trying to take me from him?"

Luther met Fayt's eyes, black on green. "Because I love you. Every little thing about you. You're different, Fayt. Nothing gets to you. You're not as cold as the rest of us. And Albel, he's colder than anyone. You shouldn't have to belong to him."

Fayt didn't move, didn't answer him. "Last night…" he dropped his voice to a whisper, because it hurt to admit. "You raped me."

"And now you're mine," Luther whispered roughly. "Not his."

Neither of them spoke after that. Fayt just closed his eyes and fell asleep. And dreamed, vividly, of Albel.

Days passed. Fayt spent his time waiting, watching the news for a glimpse of Albel. It wasn't going well for him. Albel was never good at talking to people, and there was clear evidence he had killed them. Between the knife with his fingerprints on it and the ten witnesses, it was obvious.

Luther couldn't have been happier. It seemed every time he saw Fayt his face would light up, he would smile at him, hug him, kiss him. Somewhere inside Fayt there was guilt. Did Luther really love him? _Luther raped me. Luther kidnapped me. He doesn't really care._

Still, Luther acted like he did care. He wasn't rough like Albel. He was just demanding. What he wanted, he took. Fayt could try to push him away, or close his eyes and block everything out mentally. But Luther didn't notice. He was blind to Fayt when he wanted him, but otherwise he was too loving.

It was the opposite of Albel. Albel, who hadn't ever taken Fayt when he didn't want it, who was reluctant to be gentle and loving. Sure, Fayt knew he had cared about Albel more at first. Maybe Albel didn't even care at all when he slept with Fayt the first time.

Albel.

He was all that mattered.

It was three weeks after Albel's arrest when he was found guilty and his punishment was announced. As expected, he would be killed. And already they had found a doctor to do it. Albel was given three days to live under new, stricter laws.

Three days for Fayt to find a way to stop him from being killed.

He had a plan, and with some luck it would work. Luther had mentioned that he had someone working on tinkering with hand grenades to make them weaker, and had left one lying around. Fayt had taken it, and could use it to blow off the bottom of one of the bars on Albel's jail cell. Of course, they would have to escape quickly if they didn't want to get caught, but Fayt considered the risk worth it.

The first night, Fayt didn't even make it out of the bed. Luther woke up as soon as he moved. "Restless?" he asked, smirking.

"Yeah," Fayt answered uneasily, looking up at Luther.

Luther kissed Fayt's neck, rolling over on top of him. "Me too," Luther whispered.

Fayt didn't protest that night, but he didn't encourage Luther. He lay there and let Luther use him, touch him as he pleased, and by the time he was done, Fayt was too tired to leave, and Luther was holding him too closely.

The second night, his last chance, Luther was sleeping next to Fayt, but not holding him. Fayt slid out of bed silently and grabbed the grenade. He made it out to the street, walked out to the more crowded part of the city, full of clubs and restaurants, waved down a taxi and made it to the jail.

It was a cool night, wind blowing against Fayt as he walked around the building, searching for a way to break in. He came to a small hole in the ground, as if someone had tried to escape, and been caught first. _There's probably someone on the other side. And this building is for the tougher prisoners. _Fayt took a deep breath. _Worth the risk, for Albel._

The hole must have been too small for whoever was in the cell on the other side, but Fayt managed to slide through it. It was dark on the other side. He could hear someone snoring, and froze, not wanting to bump into anyone. After a moment, Fayt's eyes adjusted to the darkness and moonlight allowed him to see.

A man was sleeping on a bed in the corner of the cell. He was large and nearly bald, tufts of oily hair falling over his eyes. Fayt looked around, wondered how he would get out. But he was lucky- one of the bars in the cell was bent in half. _And this is the high security building? This is going to be easier than I thought._ The man was probably in this cell because he would never fit through the hole in the ground or the bent bar- Fayt did. He crawled under the part of the bar that jutted out, and he was in a hallway of prison cells.

Fayt started down the hallway, the only sounds were those from the sleeping prisoners and his feet hitting the dirty cement floor. Green eyes scanned the cells of sleeping prisoners for Albel.

Fayt found him in the middle of the hall. For a moment, he just stared at Albel. He slept with a strangely sad expression in an orange suit too big for someone as thin as him. His hair was messy, darkened with dirt. And to Fayt, who had seen him sleeping enough times, he looked unfulfilled. Just empty, alone.

"Albel!" Fayt called out, hoping the other prisoners wouldn't wake up.

Albel woke instantly, as if from an uneasy sleep. Red eyes pierced through heavy darkness, staring at Fayt. And then, a moment of realization. Albel jumped up, ran to the bars at the front of the cell. "Fayt! Are you really here?"

A smile overtook Fayt. "Yeah. It's me." He stuck one hand between the bars and Albel placed his on top of it.

"It really is you…." Albel squeezed Fayt's hand. "I didn't know if you would make it out of the hospital." Albel looked at him for a long moment, eyes dancing.

Fayt's smile was fainter. "Yeah, I made it out. The day after you left, I got better and left the morning after that."

It didn't take Albel long to realize something was wrong. "Then… where did you go?"

Fayt didn't want to tell Albel. He was ashamed, hurt, broken. But in a small voice he answered, "Luther took me with him."

Crimson eyes flared angrily. "You had to live in the same house as him?" Albel's free hand curled into a fist, and for a moment he looked away. Then their eyes locked again, and he seemed to slowly understand. Then came the questions. "Then… what happened? Did he kiss you at all? Did you have to do anything to get out?"

"H-he-" Fayt stumbled, nearly collapsing against the bars of the cell. _I didn't come all this way to back out because of what Luther did._ Still, tears stung Fayt's eyes. "He raped me," he said in a whisper.

Albel cursed violently under his breath. "He always said he loved you." It was enough.

A warm tear fell down Fayt's cheek, and he bit his lip. "I'm sorry," Albel whispered. There was infinite understanding in his eyes, his hand pressed warmly against Fayt's. And somehow, Albel made the pain a little less.

"What about you? You look…" Fayt let his sentence trail off, Albel knew what he meant.

Albel looked away. "I didn't know, when I left. Didn't know how much I…" Albel took in a deep breath, looked down at Fayt. "I need you. And without you… I had to kill something, to make things better. I _saw you_ after I killed them…"

Fayt nodded slowly. _Albel must have gone mad, like Luther said. _He held Albel's hand more tightly, realizing how dependant they were on each other. "But we're back together now. I'm here. Let's get you out."

"How?" Albel gestured around the cell. "No escape."

"Grenades. Luther's people made them. They're weak enough that I can blast away a little bit of the bars, and you'll be out." Fayt pulled the grenade out, showed Albel.

Albel thought for a second. "Did you have to do anything to get out?" He asked in a low voice.

"No. I snuck out," Fayt answered. He didn't mention the last time he tried to escape. "Alright, get in the back of the cell."

Albel obeyed, walking to the back wall of his cell. Fayt unplugged the grenade, dropped it, and stepped back. The noise was loud, waking up the other prisoners. And in the bright light, Fayt could see Albel's face clearly. Lack of sleep was evident, dark lines under his eyes. His hair was tangled and dirty in front of his eyes. But Albel wore an expression of determination.

As the explosion died, there were shouts from prisoners. The man in the cell next to them called out to the others, "A guy's here to rescue the psycho killer!"

Albel rolled under the bars, and he was next to Fayt in an instant, hands on his shoulders possessively. "He's mine, don't even think about it!" he called out sharply to the prisoners.

There were a few impressed whistles, and Fayt leaned against Albel. "Albel," he whispered, "Don't we need to run?"

There were footsteps in the distance, heavy booted feet that probably belonged to a guard. Fayt tugged on Albel's hand and they ran back to the cell Fayt came from. The man in the cell looked as though he might stop them, but Fayt dropped down and crawled through the broken bars before he could. Albel followed, and Fayt slid under the wall quickly.

Rain was falling heavily outside the prison, making Fayt's clothes and hair stick to him. Albel slid through the hole, joining Fayt in the downpour. They looked at each other for a moment, and then ran as fast as they could.

Fayt let Albel lead the way, rain blurring his vision as he followed. They ran, hard and fast, until Albel stopped and knelt down, digging as fast as he could. Sirens blared in the distance, inconvenienced by the need to take a paved road. "Albel, they're going to catch up!" Fayt shouted over the rain.

"I know!" he yelled back, standing up. In his hand was a dagger, the blade covered in dirt. He wiped it on the edge of his orange shirt, blade shining in the moonlight.

The thought of Albel killing made Fayt sick. He started, weakly, "Albel-"

"I have to," Albel answered evenly.

_So cold… Six people now he's killed. _Fayt shivered, wanted to run away from the situation. His knees felt weak, but he stood.

A police motorcycle arrived, skidding to a stop. Albel's face was cold, unreadable to Fayt. The dagger flew out of his hand with sudden force, flying through the air, a blur of silver, and burying itself in the chest of the officer. Fayt choked on his own spit, stumbled as he followed Albel to the motorcycle.

Albel took the gun out of the officer's belt and the dagger out of her heart, and tossed the body onto the wet grass, staining it with blood. Fayt took in a deep breath and followed as Albel climbed on to the motorcycle. He felt almost as if he didn't know Albel, who killed so easily. Over the rain, Albel called back, "Hang on tight, alright?"

Something in his voice, only the tiniest hint of worry, assured Fayt he was still Albel. He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Albel and pressing against him. Then they were driving off, leaving behind the body. The sick feeling still didn't go away.

They drove on for at least an hour, rain never letting up. Thunder crashed and roared through the dark sky, the motorcycle swerving uneasily with inexperienced driving on empty streets Fayt didn't recognize. The whole time he was pressed against Albel's back, holding on as tightly a he could, never wanting to let go again- even if Albel was a killer.

Albel dumped the motorcycle on the road next to a forest. Silently, he took Fayt's hand and led him into the forest. They walked until they came to a small clearing, the forest floor padded by thick grass. Albel looked around, sat down, and Fayt did the same, leaning against Albel. Albel wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and Fayt settled against him.

"You killed that officer."

Albel nodded, staring out at the forest. "There was no other way. One of the guys in prison mentioned he buried a dagger there, and she was going to catch us." He paused. "If we get caught now, you'll be spending a long time in prison for helping me escape. Maybe five years."

"I know. I knew that when I came here," Fayt answered.

Albel gave Fayt a tiny smile, something rare for him. "But you came anyway." He lay down, pulling Fayt with him so they were still next to each other, looking up at the sky. "I won't let you get caught. You saw how they are in prison… They would… do things to you."

"Yeah," Fayt said softly, remembering Luther.

Albel smirked, taking Fayt's hand. "Then again," Albel added, "I don't blame them with the way you look right now. Thanks to Luther, I suppose?"

Fayt looked down at himself, blushed slightly. Luther had dressed him in a black shirt with no sleeves that was ripped at the end, revealing clear, pale skin. His jeans hung loosely, clinging to his hips. _I look like Luther's whore. Then again, I guess I was._

"Yeah, Luther," he answered.

Albel leaned over, kissed Fayt's forehead. "Did he hurt you? Leave any marks on you?"

"Only when-" Fayt stopped, fisted his hands in the grass, yanking it out. He tried not to cry, not after everything he had just done. _Come on Fayt, you rescued Albel from prison. Don't collapse crying now!_

"Go ahead," Albel whispered.

Fayt sobbed loudly, and Albel turned to the side, pulling Fayt in close. Fayt buried his head in Albel's chest and just cried. Albel held Fayt as close as he could, the way Fayt missed. All their barriers were broken down, and Fayt let himself cry into Albel until his eyes were dry.

"Can you tell me what he did?" Albel asked gently when he was done.

"The first night I was there, it happened." Fayt tried to even out his breathing. "I had a dream about you. You were.. dying. I must have made noise while I was sleeping, because he woke me up. A-and.. I said I wanted you." Fayt sighed. "He kissed me. Then, he held me down, and-" Fayt cut off, then picked up again. "I still told him I wanted you. He raped me."

Albel looked thoughtful, studied Fayt for a moment. "Fayt, after that… Do you think maybe I'm not the kind of guy you want anymore? I want you to be ok. If I don't-"

Fayt's lips cut Albel off. Albel rolled on top of Fayt, kissing him back fiercely. Fayt lost himself in the moment, wrapping his arms around Albel's neck. The way Albel kissed was, Fayt now realized, different from Luther. He kissed with passion, real caring, and only a slight undertone of lust.

"Don't you dare leave me," Fayt said breathlessly.

"As long as that's what you want. I need you Fayt, but if I'm hurting you, I'll leave."

"Didn't you hear me? We're in this together."

Albel smirked and rolled on top of Fayt again, his hands under the hem of Fayt's shirt. "Together," he whispered, and his lips were on Fayt's.

Fayt kissed back, wanting to be rid of Luther, to have Albel instead. And Albel took him in his own way, roughly undressing him, running kisses over his neck, chest, stomach, fucking him harder. It had been only a few weeks, but Fayt could tell Albel had been tense the entire time.

Afterwards, Fayt lay in Albel's arms, half-dressed, panting; just like it had always been, but more meaningful now. Albel kissed him lightly, whispered, "I missed you." Fayt didn't have to answer, Albel just knew how he felt.

_Luther can't have me anymore. Albel won't let him._


	7. This Could All End In Tragedy

-1**Disclaimer: **I do not own the rights to Albel's sexiness.

**Date Posted: **July 23, 2006

**Author's Note: **You guys, I love you all. Read the chappie, and expect a long note at the end expressing my love to you all.

The loud sound of sirens woke Fayt up with a start. He cursed under his breath and looked up at Albel. Albel's expression was fearless, he held onto Fayt tightly. "We'll be alright," he whispered. "Just don't let go of me."

Fayt nodded and held onto Albel. They had a moment before the police showed up, rain falling over them lightly. Fayt could feel Albel's heart beating against his, felt him breathing in and out steadily. He wished they didn't have to run, or worry; that it could just be the two of them. _It can't ever be perfect. Albel's wanted, and Luther will be after us._

Flashlights shone brightly in Fayt's eyes and he winced, clinging to Albel. _This could be the end of us._ There were loud voices above them, and fear started to take over.

"Get away from him!" Someone shouted at Fayt, and he shook his head violently. He pulled his head away from Albel's chest and looked up. There were at least five police officers, surrounding them with guns pointed at Albel.

"Albel, they're going to shoot you if we don't go with them!" Fayt whispered urgently, meeting Albel's eyes.

"Is there anything for us if I live? They'll still kill me."

Determination took over. "I'm not going to give up. No matter what, we're going to get out of this alive!" Fayt took Albel's hand and pulled him up, standing with his hands above his head. Albel glared at Fayt in annoyance before doing the same.

One officer came forward and handcuffed Fayt, snapping cold metal around his wrists. Albel looked like he was about to attack the officer, but instead let himself be cuffed by a second officer. With that, they were both pushed towards a police car and shoved into the back seat.

Albel looked down at Fayt as the car started. "Do you have a plan?" he whispered.

Fayt shrugged. "Sort of. How badly do you want to live?"

Albel smirked. "I still have a few things to take care of."

"Then you're going to have to trust me, ok?" Fayt met Albel's eyes, trying to look more confident than he really was.

Albel nodded. "Alright. What is it?"

Fayt took in a deep breath. "You still have that knife, right?" he asked in a whisper.

Red eyes lit up and Albel nodded again. "Yeah, it was small enough to keep. I can't reach it, but you probably can."

"Good. I'm going to take the knife and cut my own handcuffs off, alright? Don't try anything, just trust me."

Albel studied Fayt carefully, then nodded. "Ok. It's in my right shoe, sticking out a little at the top." Albel twisted his leg up effortlessly, sticking his foot behind Fayt.

Fayt grabbed the handle of the knife and Albel silently slid his leg back into place. Instantly, Fayt started sawing away at the chain on his handcuffs. He could feel them start to give, his mind set firmly on what he was about to do. _Almost there…_ The chains were thin, about to break. Fayt turned to Albel and leaned forward, their faces close. "I love you," he whispered. "I always will."

Before Albel could react, Fayt snapped the chain. The officer in the passenger seat turned around at the sudden noise, and Fayt drove the knife into her chest. Blood squirted onto him, he felt his calm exterior start to slip away. He pulled the knife out and slit the officer's throat.

By now, the second officer had his gun out. _Don't let him shoot out any windows_, Fayt reminded himself, flipping over the front seat. A well-fired shot hit him in the shoulder, Fayt bit his lip to stop from screaming. He lunged forward and stabbed the officer between the heart and the throat. Another bullet hit him, this time much closer to his heart. With one final stab, Fayt finished him, mustering up the strength to toss his body onto the other one, pressing his own foot on the gas pedal.

"Fayt, you idiot!" Albel hissed. "Those wounds could kill you!"

"They will," Fayt answered in a cool voice. His expression was blank, face splattered with blood. He reached out and grabbed the knife, throwing it into the seat beside Albel. "Free yourself before I die so you can drive."

Albel's face was equally blank, shocked. "Fayt, you can't give up! I _love_ you, I _won't let _you die!"

"Albel, do it, or neither of us will live," Fayt ordered.

The older man did as he was told, quickly sawing his handcuffs off. "So…" he took a deep breath. "What's your plan?"

"You come up here and drive, ok Albel? I'm getting tired." Fayt's voice was still calm, unafraid, still innocent. _This was my choice, I'll die for Albel._

Albel climbed into the front seat, Fayt sitting loosely in his lap, head against his shoulder, staring up at him. He could tell Albel was close to tears, something he had never seen from his lover. "Now, listen up, ok?" Fayt smiled weakly at Albel, vision swimming. He was trying hard to hold on long enough to tell Albel what to do. "Just keep driving like you're an officer and nothing happened. Once I… once I die, take one of their guns. Stop the car, get out and shoot the three in the other car." Fayt took a deep breath. "Then get in the car and drive as far away as you can. Luther doesn't matter anymore… not once I'm gone, he won't."

Albel took his hands off the wheel, letting the car glide down the straight road. He cupped Fayt's face in one hand, right thumb running over his cheek, the other hand holding Fayt up. "You know that I love you, right?"

"I've always known." Fayt smiled. "And I love you."

Soft hands stroked Fayt's hair, and he finally felt at peace. "Everything is going to be ok," he said softly. "You'll get out of here alive, and Luther will leave you alone."

"Fayt…." Albel's voice was soft, silent tears rolled freely down his face. "Why didn't you let me do it? I might've survived, I've killed before, I could do it again."

"I had a knife, they had guns. There's no way in hell anyone could have survived. Better me than you…" Fayt struggled to breathe, and everything was growing dark. He felt _tired_ suddenly, tired from the last few weeks. _I'm ready to leave… Oh God, Albel…_

"I love you," Albel whispered. "I won't ever love again."

"That's ok," Fayt said softly. "Just remember…. I love you." Fayt felt Albel kiss him softly, felt Albel's breath against his skin as he pulled away. _There's nowhere I'd rather die than in his arms._ It was the last thing Fayt thought before his world faded to black.

Albel couldn't move for a long moment. Fayt's body lay in his arms, still warm. He looked different than he had in life. Blood dripped down his chest, drops of crimson stood out against pale cheeks. Emerald eyes, once full of spark and life were closed forever. Albel touched a hand to Fayt's forehead, brushing hair out of his face. Slowly, he lifted Fayt's body and lay it down across the back seat of the car.

Albel slammed down on the brake decisively, grabbing a gun from one of the dead officers. He stepped out of the car and shot at the car behind him, walking forward as he fired with deadly accuracy, eyes blazing with anger. The window broke, and he neatly shot the driver in the head, hitting the man in the passenger seat twice. The officer in the back got out of the car, and Albel fired a few shots into his head, letting his body hit the ground.

Red eyes looked at the scene around him, and Albel nodded. He threw the gun onto the ground, walking back to the car Fayt hijacked. Albel opened the front door on the passenger seat, pulling out the two dead officers and throwing them onto the street with the others.

He climbed into the driver's seat of the car and looked back at Fayt. "Let's get you out of here, ok?" Albel started the car and sped away. Everything felt unreal, fuzzy. In just minutes he had gone from quietly holding Fayt, watching him sleep contentedly, to watching Fayt die in his arms, shot down.

_This is going to change everything. Where do I go now? What happens next? I can't go back to the way I was before Fayt, and since I fell in love with him my whole life was about him… _Albel breathed in deeply. _I have to go see Luther._

Luther's house was a lonely twenty minute drive away. Albel parked in front of the large house, closed his eyes for a moment, then got out. He walked to the door, knocked on it loudly, and waited. One of Luther's servants answered, studying Albel closely. Fayt's blood covered Albel's bare arms from holding the boy as he died, he was still half-dressed in a prison uniform. "Please," Albel said softly. "I'm not here to fight."

The servant, a tall blonde girl, nodded and let him in. "I'll go get Luther." Albel nodded, and she left.

Albel stood there, looking around the house. It looked like a normal house, well-decorated, comfortable, the opposite of Albel's, only his house because it was easy to steal.. _Luther could have given Fayt so much more. But… he loved me._

Luther came down the stairs then, glaring at Albel. "What the fuck do you want? I've got everyone out there looking for Fayt, he's not here." Then he glanced at the blood on Albel's arms. "What the hell happened?"

Albel sighed. "It's over, Luther. We don't have to fight anymore. Fayt is dead."

The blonde shook his head violently, sat down on the bottom stair. "No," he whispered hollowly. "He can't be…"

Even though Albel had hated Luther while Fayt was alive, now he knelt down next to him, looking him in the eye. "Me and him ran away. The police found us, and took us in. Fayt… he looked at me and asked if I really wanted to live. I told him I did, of course. So he… took the knife I had, cut his own handcuffs off and attacked two officers who had guns. No one could have survived it, he knew that."

"So, he… did it so you could get away?" Luther asked, eyes fixed on the blood covering Albel's arms.

"Yeah. He told me not to worry about you anymore, but… I think, if we don't have anything to fight over anymore, you have the right to know how he died." Albel looked around, avoiding Luther's eyes. "We both loved him. So, do you want to go with me to… bury him?"

Luther studied Albel carefully, as if searching for a motive. Then he nodded and stood, following Albel to the police car sitting outside his house. "He's in the back if you want to see him," Albel said, climbing into the driver's seat.

Luther nodded and opened the back door, looking down at Fayt's body. "Oh God," he whispered, kneeling down, as if whispering to Fayt. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you like I did…" Quietly, Luther stood and got in the passenger seat, looking at Albel. "So where do we bury him?"

"I don't know," Albel admitted. "We'll just… drive until we've found a place."

"Yeah." Luther nodded.

They drove on in silence, Albel couldn't say how long for, until they came to a clear field ringed by trees. Albel stopped the car and looked out at the field. "We'll bury him here, next to the trees."

Both boys got out of the car and walked to a spot, instantly setting about digging. It was a long, silent process, ripping out grass and dirt until they had a hole about two feet deep and big enough for Fayt. Albel's hands were stained with dirt and blood, and the sun was just starting to rise. "Come on, people will start to come out soon," he said, walking to the car.

Luther followed, and together they lifted Fayt's body out of the car, lowering him into the hole. Both boys stared at him for a second, and Albel whispered softly, "He was beautiful when he was alive." Luther nodded in agreement, and they began throwing dirt over Fayt's body, covering him and filling in the hole.

"So… what are you going to do?" Luther asked.

"Run away," Albel answered. "There's nothing left for me here." He looked up at Luther. "This is the end of everything between the three of us."

"Do you think… you'll ever take another lover?" Albel shook his head. "Me either," Luther agreed quietly. They looked each other in the eye, and then turned away, each walking in opposite directions, never to meet again. Albel would probably never come back to the spot where they had buried Fayt.

Days dragged by. Albel did what he could to disguise himself, dying his hair all black and his eyes, with their unique color, he did his best to keep hidden with sunglasses or hats, or just his hair if he had to. He didn't stay in one place for long, sticking with a job only until he got paid or came too close to being discovered. Slowly, days turned into weeks and months and Albel was forgotten. He settled down by himself in a tiny apartment somewhere in the state of New York, working at a local fast food restaurant.

Months dragged by. Albel had never been so lonely in his life. He didn't talk to anyone in the city unless he had to, and he missed Fayt more and more every day. It tore him apart slowly. There wasn't a day where Albel didn't think about Fayt, not a day where he didn't want him back. It wasn't _fair_, that he had to live every day alone, and only because he wasn't the only one who had loved Fayt. But there would never be anyone like Fayt again, he was the kind of boy that didn't seem remarkable in personality, but was easy to fall in love with.

Two years had gone by since Fayt's death. Outwardly, Albel didn't look much different. Inwardly, he would never be the same. He had felt something for Fayt that he had never felt before, any sort of fondness beyond simple tolerance or lust. Not only that, he had been in love with Fayt, more in love than most people can ever claim to be. And in the blink of an eye, it had all been snatched away. For Albel, every night was full of dreams of that morning, of the way Fayt had died. Lying in his arms, covered in blood, broken handcuffs on his wrists. He had, Albel was sure, deserved something much better.

And somehow, on this night, all of that was what led to Albel standing on the roof of his apartment, staring down a twelve floor fall. The wind rushed past him, and he stepped out onto the edge of the building, ends of his boots hanging over the edge. "Fayt," he whispered quietly. "It's been so long."

Below Albel, nothing moved. The city was dead this late at night, and all he could see were skyscrapers rising above him, making him feel small. Pale lids shut over red eyes, and Albel leaned forward, a sense of falling out of control trying to pull him back.

With one push from his feet, Albel jumped off the building. He was falling quickly, just a few more seconds and he would hit the ground, he would finally be free. He could see the ground coming towards him, flying faster.

He never felt himself hit the ground. Two arms were suddenly around him, pulling him up. Albel looked down, hadn't he hit the ground? And lying on the pavement was his body, crumpled from the impact, red eyes open and staring out into the night. _Why am I still here, why can I see myself?_

Albel looked to his right, to the person holding him, and suddenly knew. "Fayt?" he whispered. It nodded. It was unmistakably Fayt- blue hair framed a pale face, big green eyes stared at Albel, full of life. "Fayt died, who are you?" he asked quietly.

The boy smiled. "Albel, don't you recognize me? I've been waiting for you so I can move on."

_So it is him…_ "Fayt," Albel said softly, running a hand down his cheek.

Fayt set him down and looked Albel in the eye, a small smile on his face. "I couldn't leave you all alone. But we're free now, Albel."

Albel smiled, something he had never done in life, and hugged Fayt tightly. "Yeah. You can rest now, it's ok."

Fayt buried his head in Albel's neck, held onto him tightly. "You too. It's over now…"

One pale hand tangled in the back of Fayt's hair, wanting to hold onto him forever. "I love you, Fayt."

"I love you," Fayt whispered, and he leaned back to kiss Albel softly.

Still embracing each other, both of them faded away into the night, into nothing, finally at peace.

It was in the morning paper that Albel had died. Luther picked it up and shook his head, remembering again. "Oh, Albel. I always knew you would go first," he said to himself. "I'm the only one left to remember it all…" Luther smiled and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. "I'll never forget you… Fayt. I love you."

**Author's Note: **That's it. This fic is over! O-V-E-R! I know, it was painfully short. But you all know me- Tolanya will never stop writing Albel/Fayt! Anyway, the few, the proud, the fans of this fanfiction- you have my eternal love. ETERNAL. I love you guys lots and lots. Feel free to email me anytime you want! It's Um, I'm really glad you like this story and stuck with it, despite all the slow updates. Was written during a crazy time in Tolanya's life. But I love it, and I love you all. Now, I warn ye, my next fanfiction might be a little slow. I'm pouring lots of creative energy into this novel. It's a weirdo project, but I am entertained. So, um, I'm pretty open to whatever for my next Albel/Fayt. So yeah! Email me! I want to talk to fans, you make me happy! I luff you! Free cookies, free cake, free alcohol!


End file.
